Accra, Oct. 19, GNA – An Accra High Court will commence the trial of Safina Adizatu Mohammed, a student accused of murdering her Canadian-based boyfriend, Frank Kofi Osei, on January 12, 2027.
The court indicated that the first prosecution witness would testify on that date.
The prosecution is expected to call nine witnesses to support its case.
Safina is standing trial for the alleged murder of Osei, a 37-year-old Ghanaian resident in Canada.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charge before a seven-member jury.
The facts of the case, as presented by the prosecution, are that Osei was a Ghanaian resident in Canada, while Safina was a first-year Biological Science student at the University of Ghana, Legon, at the time of the incident.
The prosecution said the two were in an amorous relationship before Osei’s death.
It said at about 0500 hours on July 26, 2022, the police at Lakeside Estate, Ashaley Botwe, received a call from Safina reporting that she had been involved in a misunderstanding at her apartment at Ashaley Botwe School.
A struggle allegedly ensued during the misunderstanding, resulting in Osei’s death.
A police patrol team was subsequently dispatched to the scene, where officers found an unregistered white Toyota Tundra pickup parked at the entrance of the apartment building.
Investigations later established that the vehicle belonged to the deceased.
The prosecution said Osei’s naked body was found lying face down on the ground near the driver’s door of the pickup, with multiple stab wounds to his upper torso.
Although Safina’s apartment had been cleaned, the police found bloodstains on the wall and traces of blood on the floor, suggesting that the deceased had been dragged out of the apartment.
The prosecution said Safina was not at the apartment when the police arrived but was later traced to Obinim Junction, Ashaley Botwe, where she was arrested.
The court heard that during interrogation, Safina initially stated that she had stabbed Osei during a misunderstanding in her apartment at about 0100 hours on July 25, 2022.
She later changed her account, saying she had left Osei in the apartment and returned to find him dead, according to the prosecution.
Police investigations led to the recovery of a knife allegedly used in the stabbing from Safina’s apartment.
The prosecution further said that after the incident, Safina contacted her other boyfriend, Michael Fiifi Ampofo Arku, in Kumasi, who travelled to Accra the following day.
Arku allegedly assisted Safina in moving Osei’s body from the apartment on the top floor of the building to the pickup parked at the entrance.
Safina reportedly gave Arku a bag containing items belonging to Osei and other materials she wanted to dispose of. Arku kept the bag and returned to Kumasi.
Arku was subsequently arrested but later provided an alibi, indicating that he was not present when Osei was killed.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe