By Beatrice Oppon
The High Court in Accra has ordered the alleged murderer of the former MP for Abuakwa North, Joseph Boakye Danquah, to open his defence on April 23, 2024.
The Judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, warned that she will proceed to close the case of the accused, Daniel Aseidu, and give further orders for closing addresses and summary if he fails to appear in Court to mount his defence.
Daniel Aseidu was expected to open his defence today but was absent from court. A Prison Officer informed the court that the accused is unwell. The court further ordered the defence to provide evidence of the accused person’s ailment, signed by an accredited Medical Officer.
A defence lawyer Sophia, Armstrong notified the court of a pending motion to subpoena some witnesses to testify before the accused person files his witness statement. The prosecution, however, disagreed and suggested that the proper way to subpoena witnesses is to contact the Registrar of the court to make the necessary arrangements.
Justice Osei Marfo upheld the prosecution’s submission on the process for subpoenaing witnesses. She said the request by the defence lawyer was in bad faith because the court had given orders for Daniel Aseidu to file his witness statement and those of his witnesses by April 15. She said the case has been pending before the court for almost four years and will therefore not entertain any means to delay the trial.
JB Danquah Adu was the MP for Abuakwa North until he was allegedly murdered by Daniel Aseidu on February 9, 2016 at his residence at Shiashie in Accra.
