Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 12 October 2023

Source: GNA

Abesim Murder: High Court to take plea of accused person November 1

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An Accra High Court has slated November 1, 2023, to take the plea of Richard Appiah, a footballer accused of killing two minors and keeping their bodies in a refrigerator at Abesim in the Bono Region.

Appearing before the court today, October 10, 2023, Appiah told the court that he would like his plea to be taken in English.

Appiah is facing a charge of murder.

The court presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey adjourned the matter to November 1, 2023, saying the court would at the next sitting take the plea.

The court also tasked defense counsel and prosecution to get ready to address the court as a seven-member jury was also constituted for trial to commence.

A Kaneshie District Court in July 2023 committed Appiah to stand trial at the High Court.

The committal came after the Attorney General recommended that he should be charged with murder of two minors- Louis Agyemang and Stephen Sarpong.

Appiah, who initially experienced mental instability and underwent medical care, has been declared fit to stand trial.

The prosecution said six witnesses would be called to establish the charge against the accused persons.

The defense counsel would be calling two witnesses.

Appiah is accused of gruesomely killing and storing some of the body parts of the victims in a refrigerator in the year 2021 at Abesim.

The Police, during investigations, retrieved some of the body parts and intestines from a farm.

The Police would be tendering the autopsy reports of the two minors, particularly burnt clothes and clippers of the minors and their pictures among others.