Court orders CID boss to provide safety report on alleged killers of bride
A District Court has ordered the Director General, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to furnish it with an independent report on the safety of persons being held over the murder of a new bride at Abeka.
Muniratu Moro was murdered a few days after she was married off at Abeka, a suburb of Accra.
The Kaneshie District Court gave the order whiles delivering its ruling on a stay of execution, pending an appeal filed by the Attorney General.
The Court on September 22, this year granted bail to four accused persons namely: lmoro Salifu Zakaria, 44 and Adams Salifu Zakaria both Land Surveyors, Amdiya Mohammed, a 33-year-old trader, and Abass Mohammed, a 27-year-old Labourer.
They were granted GH¢300,000 bail with three sureties to be justified with landed property by the Court presided over by Mr Oheneba Kufuor, a Circuit Court Judge sitting with additional Magisterial duties.
The Court in its ruling turned down the application for stay of execution pending an appeal.
It however ruled that it was waiting for the CID Boss’ independent report on the safety of the accused persons.
It noted that it needed security report on the accused persons because at the last sitting it witnessed the commotion that took place at the court premises.
Additionally, the Court noted that the case investigator also informed it about the safety of the accused after the grant of bail.
Lawyers for the accused however indicated that if the case investigator provided the Court with the safety report on the accused, he could prejudice the said report hence it wanted an independent report from different police officer or the Regional Crime Officer.
According to the Court, the accused persons could not continue to be on remand forever.
It said the State could go ahead and file its appeal at the High Court within the 14-day period.
At the last sitting, the Attorney General Office represented by Mr Adu Gyamfi, a State Attorney, had argued that since the Court had no jurisdiction to try the case, it also had no jurisdiction to grant bail.
Defence Counsel for the accused persons held the opinion that once the Court had power to remand the accused persons, it also had the power to grant bail.
The accused persons are standing trial for the murder of the Muniratu Moro who was recently married as a second wife.
On August 28, this year Police say, before the marriage of the deceased, Salifu and Amdiya had disagreement over the deceased becoming a second wife.
Days after Muniratu was married off, she was found stabbed several times.
Police investigations led to the arrest of the accused persons.
They have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit, murder, and murder.
The District Court has preserved their pleas.
The matter has been adjourned to October 20.
Source: GNA