By Gifty Amofa
Accra, May 4, GNA – An Accra Circuit Court has ordered the Police to produce two murder suspects in court to answer for the alleged killing of a trader, Madam Alice Debrah.
The two, Azumah Agbeko, 32, fetish priest and Bless Fia-Kwofie Kwablatsey, 59, alias Efo, a driver, who were absent from the courtroom, were originally before the court for the alleged kidnap of the trader.
But the prosecution informed the Court, presided over by Mr Oheneba Kuffour, that it wanted to withdraw the matter after it was discovered that the accused persons murdered the 47-year-old woman after they kidnapped her.
It said the police discovered where the late Madam Debrah was buried by Agbeko and Kwablatsey.
The body has since been exhumed.
Agbeko and Kwablatsey are likely to be charged with conspiracy and murder in place of the initial conspiracy and kidnapping charges.
At the last adjourned date, the prosecutor asked the court to remand the accused persons because the evidence was leading to a murder case and the court accordingly remanded them.
On the next adjourned date, the prosecutor confirmed the murder of Madam Debrah to the court but did not produce the accused persons. Instead, the prosecutor showed the pictures of the exhumation of the body of Madam Debrah to the court.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Emmanuel Nyamekye had earlier informed the Court that the complainant in the case, Mr Emmanuel Adamtey, a sales assistant at Melcom, lived with Madam Debrah in Kuwait, a suburb of Kasoa in the Central Region.
He told the court that Agbeko resided at Lente Whuti near Aflao in the Volta Region whilst Kwablatsey was a resident of Kuwait, Kasoa and a neighbour to the deceased.
DSP Nyamekye said on March 25, 2023, Madam Debrah informed one Hannah Ohene, a witness in this case, that on she would travel at the dawn of the next, May 26, 2023, to the Volta Region.
Madam Debrah left home on May 26, 2023, and did not return.
Investigations revealed Madam Debrah, who sold second-hand clothing, had had a discussion with Kwablatsey on how her business could improve.
The prosecution said that based on that discussion, Kwablatsey introduced the deceased to Agbeko to help her with spiritual charms to gain more customers.
The Court heard that on March 17, 2023, Madam Debrah sent GHC1,500.00 to Agbeko’s mobile money account and about a week later, Agbeko called the deceased in the evening and arranged for them to meet.
DSP Nyamekye said on March 26, 2023, at about 0736 hours Madam Debrah arrived at Tokor in the Volta Region, where she met Agbeko, and was not seen or heard from since then.
Police Intelligence led to the arrest of Agbeko who mentioned Kwablatsey as his accomplice but denied meeting the deceased.
He said Kwablatsey admitted that he went with the deceased to meet Agbeko in March, and she subsequently sent money to the fetish priest.
Agbeko denied ever seeing the deceased physically.
However, the Court heard that call logs of the deceased showed communications between her and the fetish priest, as well as the mobile money transaction of GHC1,500.00 she sent to him.
DSP Nyamekye said the accused persons were provisionally charged with the offences.
GNA