Man sentenced to death

Ho, July 3, GNA - A High Court at Ho on Thursday sentenced Mawutor Abotsivia, a 21-year old farm labourer of Klikor in the Ketu District in the Volta Region to death for murder. This was after a seven-member jury returned a unanimous verdict of murder.

In his caution statement tendered in evidence by the Prosecution, Abotsivia, who pleaded not guilty, said he did not know what made him to club 31-year old Madam Gbeda Tagbor, an orange seller to death on June 3 1999, in his father's house at Klikor.

Mr Elias Gli, State Attorney Prosecuting, told the Court that the deceased requested Mr Kofi Abotsivia, father of the accused, to locate a woman whom she had credited some oranges to. Mr Gli said Madam Tagbor did not meet Mr Kofi Abotsivia in his house and she sat on the steps in the house and Mawutor Abotsivia protested against. The State Attorney said Madam Tagbor stood up from the steps and sat on a carpenter's bench in the house until 19 hours when the Mr Kofi Abotsivia returned home.

According to the Prosecution, Mr Kofi Abotsivia heard a scream and came out and saw that the deceased was clubbed down and lying in a pool of blood. Mr Gli said Mr Kofi Abotsivia reported the incident to the Police but his son escaped until he was arrested on June 5, 1999 for robbery.