By Stephen K.Effah
Tuesday, 03 June 2008
THE four people arrested for their complicity in the murder and robbery of the 72-year-old pensioner, Emmanuel Ayeh Asare, at his Dansoman Estate residence on February 29, were yesterday remanded in police custody after being refused bail by a magistrate court in Accra.
They are: Emmanuel Ayeh Asare, step grandson of the deceased and Jonas Kpakpo Allotey, unemployed, Abeiku Thompson, a drinking bar operator and Ayisha Razak, a hairdresser.
Two others, whose names the police gave only as Buju and Fuseini, suspected to have received or bought some of the stolen items, are on the run.
This was the second time that Ayeh Asare, popularly known as K.B and Thompson had appeared before the court.
Both Asare and Kpakpo, also known as Saamoa, are facing charges of conspiracy, murder and stealing, while Thompson and Ayisha are charged with dishonestly receiving.
Although their charges were read to them, their pleas were not taken. They are to appear again on June 17.
When the case was called, the prosecutor, police Inspector Joseph Kwao-Deho applied to substitute the charge sheet presented to the court on May 20, in view of the arrest of Saamoa and Ayisha. The application was granted by the court presided over by Ms Mariama Mamosa.
He told the court that the docket had been sent to the Attorney General’s Office for advice and the police are making efforts to arrest the other two suspects. He, therefore, requested that the accused should not be granted bail because they could interfere in investigations.
But counsel for Abeiku and Ayisha, Bannerman-Williams, objected, saying "so if it will take the Attorney-General 10 years to study the docket, would that mean they would continue to be in custody all this time?"
He argued that the charge preferred against his clients should not be linked with the murder charge preferred against Ayeh Asare and Kpakpo, since their involvement was after the murder had been committed.
He said in the case of Ayisha, the cloth was given to her for safe-keeping while Abeiku has totally denied receiving any item, adding "Saamoa denied having given any of the stolen items to Abeiku".
"Great injustice will be done if their (Ayisha and Abeiku) offence is tied up to that of K.B and Saamoa," he told the court, adding the A-G would even ask the police to de-link the charge after studying the docket.
However, the magistrate, refused the bail, but advised the investigator of the case to de-link the charge otherwise she would be compelled to grant Ayisha and Abeiku bail on their next appearance in court.
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