The Koforidua Magistrate Court ‘B’ on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, admitted a 15-year-old boy arrested together with her mother in connection with the death of his father to a bail sum of Ghc10,000 with two sureties.
The court however remanded the 36-year-old nursing mother, Mavis Amponsah, carrying a year and half old baby.
When the accused persons made their maiden appearance in the court presided by His worship Eric Daning today, the Prosecuting Officer Inspector Hayford Osei prayed the court that the plea of the accused persons will not be taken since an investigation was ongoing for the arrest of other suspects at large. He, therefore, requested the court to remand them.
But the Defense counsel Eunice Odum-Boateng raised an objection that the prosecution cannot use failure by investigators to arrest suspects at large as an excuse not to take the plea of her clients and continuously detain them.
She said when someone is charged with an inchoate offense such as abetment there should be a count on the substantive offense which the charge sheet had nothing to that effect.
The Judge upheld the argument of the Defence counsel and ordered for the plea to be taken.
The Prosecuting officer Inspector Hayford Osei, therefore, presented the facts of the case that, the complainant is Seth Adjei Boadu, 25, a driver residing in Haatso in Accra.
He said the deceased, Eric Amoako,52, and the accused wife Mavis Amponsah were married for 17 years and had five children all living at Asamang a farming Community near Nkurakan in Yilo Krobo Municipality in the Eastern region.
The Prosecutor stated that on August 28, 2021, at about 9:30pm, the deceased allegedly accused the wife of infidelity resulting in an exchange of words that degenerated into a fight.
Their 15-year-old son joined the mother against the father.
The accused wife subsequently called his brother Kofi Dennis who arrived with two other accomplices from Dawu – Akuapem near Adukrom and subjected the now deceased husband to severe beatings and allegedly struck the head of the victim with a pestle resulting in a deep cut at the back of his head.
He fell unconscious and was immediately rushed to the Eastern Regional Hospital in Koforidua by suspect Kofi Dennis and his accomplices now at large, however, he was pronounced dead after a short period on admission.
The Defence Lawyer before making an oral application for bail for the accused woman argued that the second accused person-15-year-old boy has no link to the crime because he was only rescuing the mother who was under attack therefore must be discharged.
The judge granted the 15-year-old accused person Ghc10,000 bail with two sureties by virtue of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2003, however, remanded the accused mother.
Both will reappear before Court on September 16, 2021.
The Defence Counsel hinted at making a formal application for bail for the accused woman.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com/Kojo Ansah