Wednesday November 03, 2010
By Stephen Kwabena Effah
The police say they are awaiting the autopsy report on the murdered British/American missionary to enable them to prepare a bill of indictment for the committal of the three persons being held in connection with the murder.Assistant Superintendent of Police, Cletus Abadamlora, told the Accra Magistrate’s Court yesterday, that they had not been able to put together the bill of indictment because the autopsy report has still not been issued by the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
He said “the report is expected to be ready in two weeks” and therefore requested for an adjournment which the court, presided over by Mr. Samuel Kofi Ahiabor, agreed to and adjourned the case to November 16.
The three persons, Kofi Seidu, a driver; Goodwill Padmore, a pastor; and Issaka Mohammed, a mason are facing charges of conspiracy to murder and murder. Their plea has not been taken.
The prosecution’s case is that the missionary, Reverend Sidney Thomas Barnes, 75, arrived in the country in 1995, and established a Christian ministry, known as Cross Road Christian Missionary Incorporated, in Koforidua.
Beside the missionary work, he also had a farm at Akwamu, near Nsawam, which was being managed by Seidu, and a private secretarial institution, Prestige Secretarial and Business Academy at Koforidua, with Padmore as the principal.
On December 27, last year, ASP Abadamlora said Rev. Barnes went to the USA and was to return to Ghana on March 18, this year.
On March 17, Padmore gave Seidu money to repair Rev. Barnes’ vehicle so that they could use it to convey him from the Airport in Accra to Koforidua the following day.
ASP Abadamlora said on March 18, Seidu after collecting GH¢50 for fuel, left early in the morning to "do some rounds" before picking up their employer in the evening.
At about 11.30 pm, ASP Abadamlora said Seidu called Padmore on phone, saying that Rev Barnes had not arrived, so he had driven the vehicle to Nsawam-Adoagyiri.
The prosecutor said on March 19, a witness in the case detected that Seidu had sustained some injuries on both hands and when he was questioned, he told the witness that he and a white friend were involved in an accident in Koforidua.
He said the said white friend was receiving treatment at the Saint Joseph's Hospital in Koforidua.
The prosecutor said Seidu also went to a chemical shop for anti-tetanus injection and was asked to purchase the drugs, but he did not return.
ASP Abadamlora said Seidu also presented a laptop to a witness in the case and when it was switched on, the name of Rev. Barnes appeared on the screen.
ASP Abadamlora said that when it became apparent that Rev. Barnes was missing, a report was lodged with INTERPOL and Seidu was arrested and handed over to the Homicide Unit of the Ghana Police for further investigations.
During investigation, Seidu confessed to the crime and mentioned Padmore and Mohammed as his accomplices.
On October 11, Seidu led a team of investigators from the Homicide Unit and pathologists from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to Akwamu Amanfo, near Nsawam-Adoagyiri, and pointed out the grave where Rev. Barnes had been buried.
ASP Abadamlora said the body was exhumed and conveyed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Mortuary, and on October 13, an autopsy was carried out on the body.
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