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Front Page
Confusion at Agyewodin’s trial…exhibit missing
 Sunyani (Brong Ahafo Region) 17 April 2002 - Confusion nearly broke out on Tuesday at a Sunyani High Court trying the Paramount chief of Acherensua Traditional Area, Nana Professor Agyewodin Adu-Gyamfi Ampem, who is charged with murder and causing unlawful harm.
This was when the pellets, which were retrieved from the body of the deceased and were to be tendered in evidence were said to be missing. According to the Brong-Ahafo Regional Chief State Attorney, Mr B. Cab-Beyuo, who is prosecuting, the pellets should have been sealed among the cartridges and other exhibits and wondered how they should get missing.
When the judge, Justice Baffoe Bonnie, said the situation was not fatal, Mr Cab-Beyuo replied that the pellets were very important for demonstration. Proceedings were halted for a few minutes until the prosecution witness, Police Chief Superintendent David Asante-Apeatu, a ballistic expert with the Criminal Investigation Department, told the court that he could describe the pellets.
The ballistic expert said that there were two pellets, three plastic wads and two shells. The two pellets were of AAA size while one of the two shells was AAA and the other BB. All the shells were 12-bore calibre. The AAA pellets were fired from the accused’s weapon and the BB also fired from another weapon. The two pellets retrieved from the body of the deceased were the AAA.
Of the three wads, two contained AAA pellets and the other BB pellets. When the three-member counsel, led by Mr F. Otu Essel, were asked to cross-examine him, they asked the court for five minutes, ‘only to announce after court’s resumption, that there was no cross-examination. Mr Justice Baffoe Bonnie adjourned the case to Monday 22nd April to enable the prosecution to the pathologist, Dr E.A. Boateng who performed the autopsy on the deceased, to testify in court.
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