The High Court in Accra (Criminal Division), has imposed a fine of 50 penalty units (equivalent to GHc600) on a juror for absenting himself from court duties without prior permission in the case in which Victor Nana Kankam, a landlord, is standing trial for murder.
The court, presided over by Justice Marie-Louise Simmons, imposed the fine after it appeared to the Court that, the said juror had been informed a day prior to the sitting, but failed to notify the Court of his difficulties to come to Court.
Victor Stephen Nana Kankam, also known as Nii Kojo Obo-Schroeder, a landlord, has been charged with allegedly shooting and killing his tenant, Benjamin Okyere, at Ofankor, and is standing trial for murder.
Nana Kankam, a businessman, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder and had his seven-member jury panel empaneled, with the trial ongoing.
When the case was called for the prosecution, led by Mrs. Sefakor Batse, a Chief State Attorney, to present her last witness, who was present in court, one of the jurors was absent.
“I have received the unfortunate and annoying news,” the presiding judge, Justice Simmons said in her opening words to the parties when the case was called.
The court said the had been informed that one of the jurors, (name withheld), who was absent today, had traveled outside and had just returned to Accra.
What baffled the court was that a message was sent to all the jurors a day earlier reminding them of their appearance in court , and “the (said) juror could have told the court of his difficulty of not been in court today, as the witness is in court.”
In the absence of the juror, who is absent without any reasonable explanation, “I will order him to pay a fine of 50 penalty units to the Registrar within a week from today, failure of which the legal consequences stated in Act 30 will take effect,” the court said.
Additionally, the court said, “The Registrar is to write to his employer through the Chief Director of the Ministry of Information about his absence in court today, and for him to be ordered to be present in court on the next adjourned date for continuation of trial.”
Background
Stephen Victor Nana Kamkam, a businessman and a landlord who allegedly shot his tenant over rent at Ofankor, has been committed to stand trial at an Accra High Court on April 4.
The Abeka Court has committed him to stand trial for the murder of Benjamin Okyere, a musician and a tenant, on May 25, 2020.
The businessman is facing a charge of murder. He was earlier admitted to bail by a High Court.
The state is expected to call nine witnesses during the trial at the High Court.
When the Abeka District Court asked Kamkam during the committal proceedings whether he would be calling any witnesses during the trial, he said he would have a conference with his lawyer to ascertain whether to call witnesses.
Kamkam told the district court that he shot the victim in self-defence.
Items to be tendered in evidence during the trial include four triple-A empty shells, four pellets retrieved from the deceased room, 47 live A live cartridges recovered from the accused person’s room, pepper spray, bulletproof jacket, and an autopsy report of the deceased.
Kamkam was picked up by the Police when he allegedly shot and killed Okyere, his tenant, on May 25, 2020.
The deceased was a musician who lived at Ofankor Spot-M, while Kamkam, his landlord who was into real estate, also resided in the same area.
Some years ago, the deceased rented an apartment from the accused, but the tenancy expired on May 24, 2020.
Okyere opted for renewal of the tenancy agreement, and the accused accepted but later changed his mind and asked Okyere to vacate the apartment, asking him to leave and hand over the keys.
On May 25, 2020, the accused took his action pump gun, hired a taxi, and went to the residence of Okyere.
On reaching the venue, the accused alighted as the taxi driver left.
The accused called the deceased at the gate and requested that he hand over the apartment keys.
The deceased, who knew the behaviour of the accused, had earlier called one John Bosco Kotah, a police officer friend, to come to his aid.
When Kota arrived, he saw the accused in possession of the weapon, so he got scared, and he rushed to Okyere’s room and picked up a phone to call another police friend to assist them.
The deceased was at the gate with the accused, and without any provocation, the accused opened fire and shot Okyere four times at close range.
When Kotah heard the gunshots, he came out of the room only to see the accused running away. He chased the accused to a distance but being scared that the accused might harm him, he returned to attend to Okyere.
Okyere was rushed to Aneeja Hospital at Tantra Hills and later sent to the Achimota Mile Seven Police Station, where a complaint was lodged.
Okyere was rushed to the Police Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Police later visited the crime scene and saw blood spattered at the main gate entrance to the deceased’s apartment.
Four spent AAA cartridges were retrieved at the crime scene. The accused was later picked up at his residence at Ofankor.
Two pump action guns loaded with seven and eight rounds of cartridges, respectively, were found in the room of the accused.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
