The substantive trial of the case in which Daniel Asiedu, alias Sexy Don Don, is facing the charge of murder, has been restored after nine months, following conclusion of a mini-trial.
Sexy Don Don and Vincent Bossu are being tried for the alleged murder of J.B Danquah-Adu, former Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, at his residence at Shiashie, near Accra, on February 9, 2016.
Prosecutors have charged Asiedu and Bossu with conspiracy to commit robbery, while Asiedu has been charged separately with murder and robbery. The two have pleaded not guilty to the offences.
The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court, on July 19, last year, put the trial on hold for a mini-trial, after lawyers of Asiedu and Bossu, accused the police of coercing them to give statements.
Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, the presiding judge after hearing testimonies of the investigator, independent witnesses and that of accused, ruled that (they) accused voluntarily gave the statements to the police.
She said: “I have looked at the various statements tendered by the prosecution as well as evidence of prosecution witnesses.
“They were not coerced by the police to make any statements, neither were they promises any favours before they voluntarily gave their cautioned or charged statements. The objection by the defence in respect of the cautioned statements not being voluntarily taken is over-ruled.”
Sexy Don Don said that investigators subjected him to threat, coercion, intimation and violent abuse, for him to accept whatever was thrown at him.
He also accused investigators of forcefully holding his hands to sign and thumb-print the statements.
Asiedu therefore, urged the
court not to admit those statements, which were going to be tendered into evidence by Chief Inspector Augustine Nkrumah, the eighth Prosecution Witness.
But, sexy Don Don’s allegations were disputed by the prosecution led by Mrs Sefakor Batse, a Principal State Attorney, who called the investigator and independent witnesses who were present when those statements were taken to court to testify.
It was the case of the prosecution during the mini-trial that the accused voluntarily gave their statements to the police in the presence of an independent witness, who in turned explained to him in the language he understood.
The prosecution pointed out inconsistencies in the testimonies of the accused, during cross-examination.
Bossu, the second accused, who has been charged together with Asiedu for abetment also gave a similar account and was subjected to cross-examination.
Sexy Don Don is also separately facing the charge of robbery. —Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh
