The jury seating on the murder case involving the late Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North, J.B Danquah, has said they absented themselves from court due to non-payment of allowances.
The jury claimed they have not been paid their allowances since March 2022, according to a letter addressed to the Judge presiding over the case.
According to the jury members, this has affected their ability to carry out their duties as they could not continue to bear the cost of transportation to attend the court hearings.
Meanwhile, the High Court in Accra has admitted into evidence caution statements by accused in the murder case of the late MP for Abuakwa North, during interrogation.
This follows a mini-trial as a result of an objection raised by lawyers for the accused, Daniel Asiedu and Vincent Dosso.
The lawyers indicated that the caution statements, which prosecution’s eight witnesses intended to tender during testimony were not taken from accused voluntarily.
In line with the dictates of section 126(6) of the Evidence Act, a mini-trial was held in the absence of the Jury to determine whether or not the caution statements should be excluded from the evidence of the prosecution.
The prosecution during the mini-trial called witnesses, including the investigator, who was cross-examined.
But after consideration of the evidence made available during the mini-trial, the court ruled that the caution statements were made voluntarily and overruled the objection of the counsel of the accused.
Justice Lydia Osei Marfo in her ruling stated that the accused were not coerced by the police, nor were they promised any favours before they voluntarily gave the caution charge statement.
– Citinewsroom.com
