Farmer, 24, kills step son

The Dormaa Circuit Court on Wednesday remanded a farmer, Nana Kwame Asum, aged 24, for strangling his step-son at Suma-Mantukwa near Nkran-kwanta in the newly-created Dormaa West District of Brong-Ahafo Region.

The court did not take his plea and remanded him to reappear before it on Wednesday, June 13, 2012, to give the Police adequate time to investigate.

Asum, who has been charged with murder, allegedly killed the two-year-old boy, Kofi Christian on May 27, 2012, for defecating whilst the family was taking dinner.

He was said to have allegedly killed little Christian after he had sent his wife (the child’s mother) out of the house ostensibly to have time and space to execute the crime.

Six other farmers in the community namely Peter Kyeremeh, Anthony Oppong, Silvestre Gyamfi, Oscar Twum, Emmanuel Danso and William Amponsah who assisted in burying Christian without the consent of the Police, have also been remanded by the court to assist in Police investigation.

The Court did not take their plea of not guilty whilst a seventh suspect identified only as Frank fled soon after the burial of the deceased.

Chief Inspector Bismark Boye-Lartey, Prosecutor, told the court presided by Mr. Alexander Osei Tutu, that the suspects were settler farmers who had migrated from Dormaa-Akwamu in the Dormaa-East District.

He stated that the two had lived together as a loving couple but he had not been fond of Christain, so on May 27 this year, Asum decided to prove to the community that he was not the biological father of the deceased.

Prosecution said after the deceased’s mother (complainant) had served the evening meal and as the family was about to enjoy, the deceased suddenly defecated on the mother which led to Asum’s refusal to take the meal.

After Asum had hatched the plot to kill the innocent child, he sent the mother to purchase fried eggs for him since he had lost his appetite for the supper, Chief Inspector Bismark Boye-Lartey narrated.

He said the complainant returned in about 10 minutes later to realise that the son was lying motionless with the accused looking unconcerned.

“The deceased’s mother raised the alarm and neighbours came around only to detect that the boy was dead”, he stressed.

Prosecution stated that the other accused persons quickly carried the corpse to Kwabena Krakrom for burial.

He said soon after the interment, a witness in the case confided in the complainant that he saw the accused person beating the deceased mercilessly when she went out to buy the fried eggs.**