8 To Appear In Court Over Murder Of Mfantseman MP
Eight persons, who have been arraigned in the robbery that led to the death of the Mfantseman Member of Parliament, Ekow Kwansah-Hayford, will appear again on November 30, 2020.
This is because the presiding judge of the Accra Circuit court, Mrs Evelyn Asamoah, is on leave.
The accused, Alhassan Abubakar, also known as (alias) Fulani (phone repairer), Nasiru Fudailu, a businessman, Alhassan Mahama Yayaha, alias mystical cloud, a resident of Dansoman, Amadu Yakubu, mobile money vendor, Haruna Osmanu, trader, Adams Alhasan, Fuseini Osman, alias Black Smith, and Fred Tetteh, alias Walace , who have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.’ pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the last sitting on November 2, the prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Fuseini Yakubu, filed an amended charge sheet with an additional accused, bringing the number of accused to nine.
The ninth accused, one Mohammed, and others, are said to be on the run.
The court has refused to grant bail applications made by counsel for the accused, Mr George Asamaney, has argued that Yakubu, Haruna Osmanu, trader, Adams Alhasan, Fuseini Osman, alias Black Smith and Fred Tetteh alias Walace were all not at the crime scene.
Mr Asamaney told the court that he intends to file a case of alibi on behalf of his clients, who he said were not at the crime scene.
According to ASP Yakubu, the Mfantsiman legislator and his campaign team were on board a Mitsubishi car on their way home having filed his nomination forms for reelection on October 8.
He said the MP and his team were stopped by the armed robbers upon reaching the crime scene at about 1.00 am, and fired gunshots into the car, bursting the tyres as the vehicle run into a ditch.
He said the robbers asked the victims to surrender all their belongings, which they obliged.
The court heard that the robbers pointed a gun at one Stephen Allan, a member of the campaign team, and asked whether he was the MP and he responded in the negative.
He said Mr Hayford owned up and the robbers pounced on him, collected his Samsung Galaxy 850 mobile phone and asked him to give them money.
The policeman said the MP told the alleged armed robbers that he had used all his money as he was returning from campaign tour and pleaded with them to take him to his house, but they refused and shot him.