I don’t know Agogo – JB killer

Daniel Asiedu, the 19-year-old man in police custody over the death of Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, has denied conspiring with Vincent Booso (another accused person) to kill the lawmaker.

According to Augustines Obour, lawyer for the accused persons, his interaction with Asiedu aka Sexy Don Don had revealed that he does not know Booso aka Junior Agogo.

He told a magistrate court, presided over by Stephen Owusu that Daniel Asiedu had told him that he (Asiedu) does not know Agogo “from Adam.”

Mr Obour argued that the prosecution, led by Superintendent Francis Baah, must tell the court the circumstances under which Agogo was joined to the case and the source of the information in which the accused allegedly confessed to the crime.

The defence lawyer said it was the duty of the prosecution to also tell the court the meaning of the word “assistance” in its facts sheet.

He stated that the prosecution ought not charge the accused persons without substantiating same by law.

Mr Obour contended that the prosecution had failed to tell the court whether Agogo had made a confession statement to the police, insisting that the police had no evidence connecting Agogo to the crime.

He said the prosecution ought to provide evidence that indicates that a duplicate docket of the case had been forwarded to the AG for advice, stressing that the court had gone past the stage where prosecutors came to court with the mantra “the AG said.., the AG said…”

Rebuttal

However, Supt. Baah said a duplicate docket of the case had been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department.

He explained that the AG had in a letter dated May 12, 2016 written to the prosecution to clarify some issues in respect of Daniel, adding that any response from the AG would be in respect of the two accused persons in the case.

Touching on the issues raised by Obuor, the police officer noted that the lawyer was only dragging the court back in respect of the issue of what specific assistance Agogo offered to Daniel.

He said the court had in its previous sittings ruled on the matter, which was clear.

The prosecutor said Agogo, who was on the police wanted list, was arrested as well as one Avenger.

Supt. Baah argued that there were a lot of people in the street wondering why the police only arrested Agogo and brought him to court if his name was not mentioned by Daniel Asiedu.

The prosecutor held that Agogo assisted Daniel to go through the gate of the late MP and also kept watch at the gate.

Supt. Baah maintained that the court was not the forum to tender the statements of the accused, stressing that Agogo had not denied his involvement in the murder of the late MP.

The senior police officer said there is nowhere in the world where defence lawyers in a trial have compelled the prosecution to disclose their sources of information. He said that even if the court was so minded to order same, it had to be done in chambers.

Sitting continues on June 16.

Daniel Asiedu has been slapped with murder while Agogo faces a charge of abetment of crime contrary to his earlier charge of conspiracy to murder.

In the case of Agogo, the prosecution held that he at about 1am on February 9, this year, at Shaishie, East Legon in Accra, abetted Daniel to commit murder.