Trial of accused persons in Ya Na's alleged murder adjourned to May 31

Accra, May 19, GNA - The trial of nine accused persons in the allege= d murder of the late Dagbon King, Ya Na Yakubu Andani II, and some of his elders in 2002 was on Wednesday adjourned to Monday, May 31. This was because the Magistrate, Ms Patricia Quansah, was indisposed= .. The State was expected to indict six of the accused persons and free=

the rest but names of those to be freed and indicted to stand trial at th= e High Court have not been disclosed.

The accused persons are Iddrisu Iddi 76, Alhaji Baba Iddrisu Abdalla=

54, Kwame Alhaasan 53, Mohammed Kojo 45, Mohammadu Abdulai 57, Saibu Mohammed 34, Yakubu Mohammed, 42, and Alhasaan Briamah, 40. Abubakar Mahama was picked up later in connection with the same offences and put before court. They have been charged with conspiracy and murder of the Ya Na and s= ome of his elders. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Court on Tuesday admitted Yidana Sugri, one of the accused persons to GH¢10,000 bail with a surety. He is being held for allegedly organising military training and was seen cheerfully chatting with some relatives at the court premises. The accused persons have been refused bail by the Magistrate and Hum= an Rights Court (Fast Track High Court Division). They have been remanded into Police custody.

It would be recalled that in March 2002, Ya Na Yakubu Andani II, and=

some of his elders were killed following a clash between the two royal ga= tes in Dagbon, Abudus and Andanis. After the clash, Idrissu Janfo and Sugri were arrested and put befor= e an Accra Fast Track High Court for the alleged murder of the Ya Na and so= me of his elders, but were acquitted and discharged. Government and security agencies in a fresh attempt to find the murderers of the late Ya Na, conducted a dawn swoop at Yendi during which= 41 persons were rounded up. After screening them in Bimbilla, 33 were granted self recognisance bail, while the rest were escorted to Accra and put before the court. 19 May 10