Late Judge’s family frustrated

The family of the late Justice Mohammed Nabon, who until his death in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was a high court judge in Kumasi, has expressed dissatisfaction about the manner in which the aftermath of his demise has been handled by the Saudi authorities.

The late judge’s son, Abdul-Razak Mohammed Nabon, in a brief but serious letter delivered to the DAILY GUIDE stated that the family was notified officially about the judge’s death on December 2, 2014.

“The entire family is not satisfied with the circumstance which caused the death of the judge, from the point when he was killed by the bus. He was a responsible man with so many responsibilities, very religious and respected in society.”

The late Justice Nabon was knocked down by a vehicle while crossing a road at Arafat in the Makkah region of Saudi Arabia during the last Hajj pilgrimage story about which was carried in theDAILY GUIDE.

His son told DAILY GUIDE that “we found it appropriate to vent our frustration through the DAILY GUIDE being the newspaper which broke the story.”

In the narration of the family, the judge was left to his fate after the accident as the driver, a man identified as an Indonesian fled the scene. He died by the time he was picked up, according to the family.

The family has not limited the source of its frustration to the Saudis but extended it to the Judicial Service.

“The Judicial Service on its part has not given the attention due its colleague as has the Saudi government,” the family said.

The family is amazed and disturbed that a three-worded was all the Saudi authorities could manage to send regarding the death through an accident of a diplomatic passport bearing national.

“We wonder whether the Saudi authorities would accept such a three-worded were the judge to be their national?” the family asked.

The family is demanding the relevant authorities to intervene to ensure that the Saudi authorities undertake the necessary investigation into the circumstances that led to the death of the judge with a view to ensuring that justice is done, and the necessary respected accorded the deceased.

A December 2, 2014 correspondence from the Foreign Affairs Ministry and signed by Marcel Domayele, deputy director, read in part, “I am to forward for your kind attention the attached documentation in respect of the late Mr. Mohammed Goodman Nabon, a former High Court Judge in Kumasi received from our Jeddah Consulate in Saudi Arabia.”

The correspondence addressed to “The Officer-In-Charge, Office of Pilgrims Affairs, Airport, Accra” listed the documents as a diplomatic passport, medical report, original death certificate, report of the accident, indication of no belongings of the deceased and indication of no financial belongings of the deceased.

A Saudi Ministry of Interior, Traffic Department Report, on the accident and signed by a certain Colonel Metaab Ragi Utabi reads in part, “On 3/10/2014 at Arafah area, a person called Mohammed Goodman, Ghanaian national and holder of diplomatic passport No. DX002187, who came to perform this Hajj was hit by a bus belonging to Abu Sarhad Company. The driver’s name of this bus is Mr. Mohammed Abduol Bin Asib, Indonesian national. The dead body was handed over to the Ghana representative of the Ghana Consulate General. The mistake is 50% on the driver and 50% on the deceased (sic).”

In a related development, the Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong, has been directed by the Chief Justice in response to the family petition to ask the Foreign Affairs Ministry to assist the family of the deceased.