Attorney General takes over prosecution in minor’s murder trial
A 22-year-old mason who allegedly strangled a seven- year old girl to death after having sex with her, would be tried summarily for defilement a representative from the Attorney General (AG) office has said.
At the District Court on Tuesday, Mrs Francisca Tete-Mensah, a Principal State Attorney who has taken over the prosecution said the delay was due to the fact that “although the docket was forwarded to the AG’s Office it could not be traced hence the request for a copy from the Police.
Lucas Agboyie, charged with murder, has had his plea reserved when he appeared in court in April, last year.
According to her they “quickly worked on the docket and prayed the court to give them two weeks for committal”.
When the court presided over by Mr Kweku Ansah quizzed the Attorney General as how the docket was traced, the Principal State Attorney said they requested for copies.
The judge further quizzed the AG as why similar actions had not been taken in respect of other dockets before the court for over three years.
According to the judge he was going to discharge accused persons whose cases had not been attended.
“I will discharge them so that when you get enough evidence you arrest them and bring them to court.
“We have all blamed things on a certain man known as the system. We all have some difficulties. You have to find a way to resolve them.”
Mrs Tete-Mensah pleaded with the court not to discharge the accused persons as they may pose as a danger to the society.
On the last sitting Mr Worlanyo Kotoku expressed worry over the delay in the trial of the mason.
Mr Worlanyo Kotoku noted that it had been almost a year and half since Lucas Agboyie a.k.a Sky Lover, or Sympathy’s case had been dragging on.
Although a duplicate docket has been forwarded to the Office of the Attorney General, the court is yet to receive the advice on the case.
When the case was called, Agboyie recounted that he had regretted his deed, in the presence of the victim’s mother who attended the proceedings.
The incident took place at Kubekro No one, near Atadeka in the Ashaiman Municipality.
The case of prosecution is that the deceased, Ruth Ankomah, was a class one pupil of Meshach Academy School at Zenu, in Ashaiman.
The accused living 200 meters away from the deceased’s house. On April 19, last year, at about 0800 hours, the deceased’s mother prepared porridge and gave her GH¢20 to go and purchase bread at a nearby shop for breakfast.
The Prosecution said having waited for a long time without Ruth’s return, she became alarmed and searched for her in the area, but to no avail.
Later, an informant told her that he saw the accused person pulling the victim into his metal container. The search team marched to the container but the accused was nowhere to be found.
However, they found the naked body of the victim lying in a supine position on an old student mattress with blood oozing from her nostrils and mouth.
The search team nabbed Agboyie during the search and he confessed to killing the girl after having sex with her.
The Prosecution said the accused, during the interrogation, said he wanted to have sex with the victim but she screamed, hence he strangled her after which he had sex with her.
The Police, during their visit to the scene, saw bruises on the neck of the deceased, with her vagina swollen, while her pant, sandals and dress were lying beside her.
The matter has been adjourned to September 30, while Agboyie has been remanded into lawful custody.
Source: GNA