A seven-member Jury panel has returned an inconclusive 4-3 not guilty verdict for Daniel Asiedu, the man accused of killing the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North Constituency, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu.
The decision of the jury means, Asiedu who is affectionately called Sexy Don Don will have to face a retrial.
Even though, the jury returned 4-3 verdicts in favour of Asiedu, on all two charges- Robbery and Murder, his has been remanded into lawful custody.
Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, the trial judge has adjourned the case to December 20, 2024 with his lawyers asked to file a formal bail application.
The prosecution led by Mrs. Sefakor Batse, a Principal State Attorney (PSA), had called seven witnesses to tell their story.
Defense Lawyers led by Yaw Dankwah also put up a defense.
Asiedu had pleaded not guilty to the charge of robbery and murder but the Jury found him guilty on both charges.
EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, reports that, proceedings on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 which is the last day, lasted for over about 8 hours.
Unrepentant Sexy Don Don
Mrs. Sefakor Batse, a Principal State Attorney, in her concluding submission to the Jury said, Prosecution has been able to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that Daniel Asiedu, killed the late MP.
The PSA also said, Prosecution’s evidence showed that, Daniel Asiedu is the one who “robbed and killed” JB Danquah on February 8, 2016.
She also said all the elements of robbery and murder have been established as the accused failed miserably to convince the court about his claim of innocence.
The PSA said, Asiedu succeeded in “entangling himself in a web of lies,” clearly showing that after all these years he is still “unrepentant about the heinous crimes of robbery and murder” which he committed against JB Danquah.
Mrs. Batse, urged the Jury to return a Verdict of guilt on both charges of robbery and murder against the accused.
Real culprits walking free
Defense Counsel, led by Yaw Dankwah whike addressing the Jury said, the real culprits are out there “walking free” and that a heinous crime on a law abiding citizen (the late MP) was not properly initiated by the prosecution.
He said, the matter called for “thorough investigation” but the Prosecution and the Police did not get to the truth of the matter during investigations.
Mr. Dankwah told the Jury that, because the incident happened in an election years, the prosecution was in a hurry to get someone arrested and that led to the arrest of his client whom he said is “innocent of the crime.”
While pointing to the inconsistencies in prosecution witnesses testimonies, Lawyer Dankwah told the jury not to “allow the real culprit to walk free.”
He said, Prosecution evidence “did not stand the test of time” and that the Jury should not send his “innocent” client to languish in jail for the rest of his life. He urged the Jury to return a not guilty verdict in favour of his client.
Background
Daniel Asiedu, alias Sexy Dondon was initially charged together with one Vincent Bosso alias ‘Junior Agogo’ with conspiracy to commit crime to wit robbery contrary to sections 23(1) and 149 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
Sexy Don Don was separately charged with robbery and murder contrary to sections 149 and 46 of Act 29 respectively.
Vincent Bosso, who was the 2nd accused was acquitted and discharged on March 19, 2024 at the close of the Prosecution’s case after the Court ruled that a prima facie case had not been made against him.
That left Daniel Asiedu off the hook of the charge of conspiracy since he cannot be deemed to have conspired with himself.
He, therefore, was left with the charges of robbery and murder contrary to sections 149 and 46 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) respectively to deal with.
Psychiatric examination
Before, Asiedu’s plea was taken, his counsel applied to the Court for the accused to be examined by a psychiatrist which was granted.
Upon examination, by a psychiatrist, Asiedu was declared fit to stand trial and on February 19, 2021, he pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him and the case proceeded to trial.
Prosecution witnesses
Prosecution called eight witnesses as follows; the personal driver of the late MP, his night security guard at his residence at Shiashie, a businessman, a phone repairer, the Pathologist, a trader in African wears, a DNA analyst and the investigator, all testified.
But, Asiedu, the accused who testified, did not call any witness and closed his case on November 22, 2024.
Brief facts
Per the brief facts of the case as narrated the Court by the Prosecution were that, the deceased Joseph Boakye Danquah- Adu was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North Constituency in the Eastern Region.
It stated that, the late MP lived with his family in a one storey-building at East Legon.
While, the accused person, Daniel Asiedu alias Sexy Don Don, initially resided at Madina but later moved to Agbogbloshie where he stayed with his girlfriend Janet.
According to the Prosecution, between February 8 and 9, 2016, the accused person, armed with implements like a sharp knife, catapault and a cutter, headed to East Legon searching for a house to rob.
The Prosecution said, the accused person ended up in the house of the then Hon. Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, MP for Abuakwa North.
It said, on that day, the MP who had returned from work to his house at about 11:40pm, retired to his room and was fast asleep when the accused got to his house at about 1:00am on February 9, 2016 .
The Prosecution said, the accused managed to make his way into the house through the fence wall since the security man on duty was fast asleep.
Ladder
The Prosecution said, the accused found a ladder on the compound, which he used to climb upstairs to the bedroom porch of the deceased.
It said, the accused entered the bedroom through the window and started rummaging through the room and the noise woke the deceased who confronted him (the accused).
Struggle, stabbing
The facts stated that, the two struggled (Accused and MP) and the accused stabbed the MP deeply several times in the neck and the chest till he collapsed and bled to death.
The Prosecution said, the accused also sustained injuries in his palm and succeeded in making away with three mobile phones belonging to the deceased MP.
It said, the security man later woke up and raised an alarm after detecting that there was a ladder leading to the bedroom of his master.
The Prosecution said, the police were contacted and upon their arrival, the lifeless body of the MP was found in his bedroom.
Mobile phones
It was the case of the Prosecution that, the accused, upon leaving the house of the MP, entered a neighbouring compound where (6th Prosecution Witness,(PW6), in the case was living.
Prosecution said, the accused washed off the blood on his body and later left the area back to his place of abode, Agbogbloshie, where he handed over two of the phones to Kenenth Koranchie who is PW3 in this case.
The Prosecution said, one of the phones was to be charged and the other unlocked, but in the process of handling the phones, the witness detected blood stains on the locked phone.
It stated that, the accused then went through the other phone, which was unlocked and saw pictures of the deceased on the phone.
Arrest
The Prosecution said, a report was lodged with the Police and further investigations led to the arrest of the accused who admitted killing the MP.
It said, the accused gave “several statements to the police describing what led to the death of the MP.”
The Prosecution narrated that, he also led the police to the crime scene where he demonstrated to them how the whole incident occurred.
Post Mortem
It was the case of the Prosecution that, a post mortem examination conducted on the body of the deceased by Dr. Lawrence Edusei, a pathologist, (PW 5), gave the cause of death as “exsanguination and multiple stab injuries on the neck and chest which he described as an unnatural cause of death.”
The Prosecution said, investigations revealed that the DNA of the accused was found at the main crime scene at East Legon and in the neighbouring compound.
DNA
The Prosecution said, the finger and foot impressions of the accused were also found at the same crime scene.
While Various items belonging to the accused were also found at the crime scene, some of which had his DNA.
It said, based on the above the accused stands before you charged with robbery and murder contrary to sections 149 and 46 of Act 29 respectively.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
