Johnson Kombian sentenced to death by hanging

Johnson Kombian Garkum, farmer and businessman, who was accused of killing two police officers in the Northern Region, has been sentenced to death by hanging, on two counts of murder.

The deceased are Constable Prince Agyare and Constable Owusu Frimpong, but a third policeman, Corporal Osei Bonsu, survived after sustaining gunshot wounds.

Kombian is also to serve a 30-year imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy to commit crime.

The seven-member jury unanimously returned the verdict of guilty on Kombian.

Last week, both the defence and prosecution, took turns to address the court.

Mr George Assamaney, counsel for Kombian, argued that the state could not prove that Kombian perpetrated the crime.

Defence counsel contended that the case of prosecution was full of inconsistencies, and that no court could reasonably and safely convict his client based on those inconsistencies.

The  prosecution, led by Mrs. Marina Appiah Opare, a Principal Chief State Attorney, argued that it was Kombian and his accomplice who killed the two police officers, and injured a third  one.

The Principal State Attorney noted that evidence adduced by the prosecution was solid, and could warrant a court conviction, adding that the evidence by the witnesses was credible and reliable.

“There are no inconsistencies in the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, Corporal Osei Bonsu the surviving Police officer saw Kombian and his accomplice shoot at him, and his colleagues on that fateful day,” she added.

During the over one-year trial, the prosecution called six witnesses and a defence witness.

Kombian, alias Garkum, and his accomplices who are currently on the run, were alleged to have ambushed three policemen on October 17, 2010, and succeeded in killing two of them.

Kombian allegedly conspired with his friend, Kofi Naaman, known as Accra Boy, to rob Djato Mathias, and then attempted to kill him.

He was, therefore, arrested, tried and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment by the Tamale Circuit Court, but he escaped while serving his jail term.

Kombian sought refuge at Nakpanduri in the Bunkprugu Yunyoo District of the Northern Region, which happened to be his home town.

On October 17, 2010, the accused person and his accomplices received information that a number of policemen had been detailed to perform duties at the Nakpanduri Scarp.

Kombian and his accomplices however ambushed and attacked the three policemen.

They allegedly fired gunshots at the deceased policemen who were then on a motorbike. The policemen fell into a 10-metre long valley.

The accused person and his group continued to fire sporadically into the valley, with the hope of killing the policemen, who also retaliated with occasional gun fire.

After some minutes of firing, Kombian and his gang stopped, and on realizing that the gunshots had ended, Agyare and his colleagues mistakenly thought their attackers had left.

They, therefore, came out of their hide-out, and were subjected to more gun fire.

Help finally came to Agyare and his colleagues, while Kombian and his accomplices bolted. The wounded policemen were conveyed to the Nalerigu Hospital, but Agyare was later pronounced dead.

Frimpong also died later, while Bonsu was transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra where he was treated and discharged.

Kombian fled to neighbouring Togo, but through the intervention of International Police (INTERPOL), he was arrested on Friday, November 19, 2010 when he crossed the border at Bunkpurugu/Yunyoo District to visit his girl friend.

In January 2010, Kombian  escaped from the Tamale Prisons, and whilst  hovering between Nakpunduri and Togo,  he was arrested by the INTERPOL.

Source: GNA