Accra, April 24, GNA-The trial of Ebenezer Quainoo, the 55-year-old ex-serviceman who allegedly killed an agricultural officer on June 24 last year, has started at an Accra High Court.

Quainoo has pleaded not guilty to murdering Maurice Kpiebarreh, an agricultural officer in charge of the Bole district, and he is to re-appear on Thursday, May 11. The case for the prosecution as narrated to the court by Mr Anthony Gyambiby, Principal State Attorney, is that in the evening of the incident, the deceased was in the company of Vesper Suglo and Gifty Dokosi.

Mr Gyambiby said the three were in a Toyota pick-up and moving towards the Motorway Extension near former Dimples Inn when they were caught in a traffic jam.

According to the prosecution, Suglo who was driving the vehicle, had slowed down when all of a sudden they heard a noise from behind. Mr Gyambiby said the accused, who was also driving a Land Rover and was behind them, came out of his car and asked why they were driving slowly.

The prosecution said when the three realised that the accused had hit their vehicle they insisted that the matter be reported to the police. Mr Gyambiby said this infuriated the accused who moved to his vehicle, opened the driver's side and pulled out a pistol.

The prosecution said when Suglo noticed the weapon he quickly held the pistol and forcibly took it away from the accused. According to the prosecution, before Suglo could move away in a hired taxi to report the matter to the police, he heard three gun shots and he returned to the scene.

Mr Gyambiby said on reaching the scene, Suglo saw the deceased lying in a pool of blood with the accused stooping over him. The prosecution said Suglo picked a taxi and reported the incident to Achimota Police and also handed over the seized pistol to them.

Mr Gyambiby said, meanwhile policemen on night patrol duties heard the shooting and rushed to the scene where they met the accused still holding the pistol.

The prosecution said the accused told the police that three people including the deceased attacked him and that two of them had ran away. Mr Gyambiby said the policemen disarmed the accused, arrested him and took him to the Police Headquarters.

The prosecution said an autopsy on the deceased revealed he died "as a result of a massive intra-thoracic haemorrhage due to gunshots to the head and the chest, with resultant destruction of the brain, and the perforation of the heart and the lungs".

Mr Gyambiby had already cross-examined Suglo and Dokosi, said he would call six more witnesses. Mr Ellis Owusu Fodwuor is defending Quainoo.