Grenades suspects object to proposed members of jury

The trial of two suspects who were nabbed with seven grenades last year at Kwashieman at an Accra High Court was on Tuesday truncated following the suspects objection to six proposed members of the jury.

Ismaila Ali Musah aged 31 and Abdul Karim Yakubu aged 30 objected to six members of the public who were to be empaneled as jurors.

Musah and Yakubu initially objected to three of the jurors without any explanation.

However, on the fourth and fifth persons, the suspects took turns to inform the High Court presided over by Mr Justice Charles Ekow Baiden that: “My heart did not like the panel member.”

Out of the nine people who were to be empanelled, only three were selected.

The Court therefore had to adjourned the matter to February 26, to enable the Court’s Registrar to add more people for the selection of the seven-member jury for the trial to commence.

According to the court the selection of the jury would be conducted all over again.

Mrs Sefakor Batse, a Senior State Attorney represented the Republic while Mr Bernard Shaw represented Musah and Yakubu.

On April 13, last year, a District Court presided over by Mr Ebenezer Kweku Ansah committed the two suspects to stand trial at an Accra High Court.

The district court ruled that the suspects needed to explain how they came by the grenades from Russia.

They were charged with Possessing explosives and firearms without authority.

The Attorney General however discharged Osman Alhassan one of the suspects for lack of evidence.

The case of prosecution was that Yakubu and Musah were arrested in house behind the Kata hostel at Kwashieman following a tip.

The prosecution said the Police arrested Yakubu at the Kata Hostel with seven grenades and when he was quizzed, he disclosed that he bought it from Musah and Alhassan.

Yakubu therefore led the Police to arrest Musah and Alhassan. Alhassan was however discharged by the Attorney General for lack of evidence.

Source: GNA