Why I ordered filing ‘No case’ in JB Danquah’s trial – Attorney General

• Posted on May 30, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Attorney General, Gloria Akufo has confirmed that her office indeed ordered the entering of a nolle prosequi in the ongoing trial of the suspected killers of former Abuakwa North Member of Parliament (MP), Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu.

The two men linked to the murder of the late MP were Tuesday morning discharged by an Accra High Court.

The two were discharged following the filing of Nolle prosequi by the Attorney General.

The State Attorney, Sefakor Batse, who made the announcement, did not give any reason for the decision to drop the charges against the two, Daniel Asiedu and Vincent Bosso.

There was mix reaction to the decision of the Attorney General’s department when the news broke.

But the Attorney General speaking on Adom FM’s Midday News on Tuesday confirmed that her office ordered that the case be dropped to allow for the opening of fresh investigations into it.

“I decided that to withdraw the case but that does not mean that we have given up entirely, I have looked through the evidence and feel there is the need for more investigations hence the decision to file a nolle prosequi…,” she said.

The Abuakwa North legislator was on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, stabbed to death at his Shiashie residence in Accra.

Two days after his murder, the then Accra Regional Police Command, led by COP George A. Dampare, arrested a prime suspect, Daniel Asiedu, who allegedly confessed to committing the crime.

Vincent Bosso, was later arrested as having conspired with Aseidu to commit the crime.

In the course of the trial, the prosecution tendered in a post-mortem report of the MP, Forensic DNA Report, Blood stained T-shirt of Asiedu, a knife used by Asiedu, the three iPhones of the deceased, Asiedu’s pair of slippers which he left at the crime scene, his prison records, and radiology report determining his age, his medical report, all as evidence to prosecute him.

A year after his death, the family of the late Legislator petitioned the Flagstaff House and expressed their dissatisfaction with the investigations that has gone into the case.

And the Attorney General said she decided to file a nolle prosequi so she can call for fresh investigations into the murder. The filing of the no case led to the discharge of the two.

She could however not confirm when the case would be sent back to the court as according to her, the investigations might take time.

The decision, Madam Gloria Akufo said was taken as part of the review of documents handed her by the former Attorney General, Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong.

Family Approves of Decision

Despite the failure of the Attorney General’s department to consult the family of the late JB Danquah-Adu before filing a nolle prosequi, a spokesperson of the family, Kwaku Solomon said they were happy with the decision.

He said the family are hopeful that the Police, Attorney General’s Department and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) will do a good job.

Kwaku Solomon said the family is satisfied with the decision because they always wanted fresh investigations into the case.

“In the beginning, we were worried but now we have the full assurance that they were just discharged not acquitted…we also called for the conduction of fresh investigations into the case and we are happy,” he said.

-Adomonline