Commencement of the trial of the case in which a self-acclaimed businessman, Yahuza Osumanu, has been charged for robbing former 2nd Lady, Mrs Matilda Yaaba Amissah-Arthur will begin in the new legal year.

This was after the parties completed the Case Management Conference (CMC) on Thursday, June 20, 2024.

Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, the presiding judge following the conclusion of CMC, said the parties should reconvene on July 24, for trial dates to be taken for trial to begin in the 2024/2025 Legal year which starts from October this year.

“CMC (Case Management Conference) is Completed,” Justice Marfo said.

“Except to say that as and when any needful disclosures should be made either side, leave will be granted whoever wishes to,” the Court added.

The Presiding said, “We shall adjourn for pre-trial proceedings, that is when we will be agreeing to which particular time the trial will begin in the next Legal Year (2024/25).”

According to EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, the current Legal Year will end on July 31, 2024, after which the Judiciary will embark on a two-month Legal Vacation from August 1 to September 30, 2024.

Witnesses

On June 6, the prosecution filed their third batch of disclosures, which included evidential documents they intend to rely on to prove their case.

Amanda Awadey, a State Attorney on that day told the Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo that, “We are filing our third batch of disclosures this morning (Thursday).”

Asked by the Court what was contained in the latest disclosures filed, she said “Witness statements and some evidence we want to rely on.”

She added: “That should be the last batch so my lady can give us a date to ensure that counsel is served.”

Additionally, the state attorney said “We have 9 witnesses,” to rely on when asked by the Court.

Background

Mrs. Amissah-Arthur is the wife of the late Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, who was Vice President between 2012 and 2016.

Yahuza Osumanu according to the prosecution succeeded in robbing her of her various currencies including GH¢3,000, USDS2,200, and Fifty Euros as well as a gold watch and necklace valued at GH¢20,000 and GH¢5000 respectively.

Yahuza who was slapped with 26 counts comprising 20 counts of robbery and six counts of money laundering, pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Apart from the former 2nd Lady, businessman David Adjaye and three others have all been robbed by the accused at gunpoint of their valuable properties at gunpoint.

The brief facts of the case stated that the complainants are Augustine Kwesi Okere, a businessman, Daniel Kwame Osafo and Tracy Osei-Hyeaman; husband and wife while Mrs Matilda Yaaba Amissah Arthur was the wife of the late Vice President of the Republic of Ghana and Margaret Alice Shaw, a 76-year-old woman residing at Alexander Nest, Ridge, Accra.

The Prosecution stated that the accused Yahuza Osumanu is a self-acclaimed businessman who resides at Pokuasc-ACP.

According to the Prosecution, between the second quarter of the year, 2023 and December 2023, the Police CID received several complaints of residential robberies perpetuated by a single armed man around Airport, Cantonments, Tesano and Ridge.

It said, that on September 7, 2023, complainant, Augustine Okere reported to the Airport Police that at about 2:30 am that morning, his residence at Kaecla Court Apartments, Airport Residential Area was robbed.

It stated that, on receipt of the complaint, a team of police personnel from the Airport Police Division was dispatched to the crime scene.