Mother of victim accuses prosecution of delay tactics
The mother of a seven-year-old girl who was allegedly murdered by a 22-year-old man has accused the prosecution of intentionally delaying the case.
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Sobbing uncontrollably and shouting on top of her voice, the woman alleged last Wednesday that the prosecution was dragging its feet in order to make the case a “foolish case”.
“For the past two years I have been seeking justice, but it seems the state is not serious about giving me justice,’’ she lamented.
She was eventually calmed down by her family members and other patrons in the courtroom.
The accused person, Lucas Agboyie, is facing two counts of murder and defilement and is currently at the district court waiting to be committed to stand trial at the High Court.
Agboyie has, on several occasions, confessed to killing the seven-year-old girl and sleeping with the corpse.
Request
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General’s (A-G’s) Department has requested for two more weeks to start the committal proceedings.
A Senior State Attorney, Ms Francisca Tete-Mensah, prayed for more time to complete the bill of indictment and also serve the accused person.
“Due to certain administrative challenges and the strike by the Association of State Attorneys, the case delayed. Now we have called off the strike and will give the case all the attention it deserves,’’ she said.
Ms Tete-Mensah, however, informed the court that the prosecution would file the defilement case at the Accra Circuit Court by the close of last Wednesday.
“Defilement is a summary trial, so it will be filed at the Circuit Court, while the murder aspect of the case will continue here,’’ she explained.
Reaction
The comments by the state attorney did not go down well with the magistrate, Mr Worlanyo Kotoku, who lashed out at the A-G’s Department for the undue delay of the case.
“From the facts, this committal should not have taken long, but there is always an excuse from the A-G and the prosecution,’’ he said.
Mr Kotoku commended the media for their coverage of the case.
“Had it not been for the media reportage, I am not sure the A-G would have made an appearance in the case,’’ he said.
Hearing continues on March 16, 2017.
Facts
The facts of the case, as presented by the prosecution, are that on April 19, 2015, a seven-year-old girl was sent by her mother with a GH¢20 note to buy bread.
After waiting for a while, the girl’s parents became alarmed and sought the help of neighbours to search for her.
“Later, an informant alerted the search party that he had seen Agboyie pulling the girl into his metal container,” the prosecution said.
Agboyie could, however, not be found in the container after a search.
“To their utmost surprise, they found the naked body of the girl lying supine on an old student’s mattress, with blood oozing from her mouth and nostrils,’’ the prosecutor said.
When Agboyie was later apprehended, “he confessed to killing the girl, after which he had sex with the body”.
Agboyie, after threats on his life, mentioned one Baba Ali as the one who had sent him to commit the act.
When the police confronted him on the identity of his accomplice, Agboyie retracted his earlier statement and said he had acted alone.