Police dilly-dally with case

...Counsel tells court

The magistrate court in Ho was filled to capacity as relatives and friends thronged the court for the second hearing of the seven suspects arrested and detained in prison custody in relation to the murder of a police constable, Moses Deba and other criminal activities that took place during the Anlo chieftaincy dispute at Anloga in the Keta District of the Volta Region early this month. The two lawyers defending the suspects, Chris Akumey and Mr Ernest Gawu expressed dissatisfaction about the manner in which the police were handling the case and called on them to speed up investigations into the matter. They alleged that the police had just dumped the suspects in prison custody without caring much about the case. Counsel contended that the suspects should have been taken to Anloga for an in-depth investigation into the matter, which they have also failed to do. Lawyer Akumey argued that the police investigators could not have claimed that they conducted proper investigations into the case when those at the centre of it were left in prison custody. He explained that the chieftaincy dispute emanated mainly from the Royal Adzovia Clan but out of the seven suspects arrested, six were not members of the Adzovia Clan while the only person who is from the clan is not a royal, therefore, he could not have had anything to do with the conflict. Mr Akumey said two of the suspects, Francis Adzira and Wisdom Prince Kpodo were teachers at Dzita and Agorve LA Primary Schools and that they had signed the attendance register on November 1, 2007 after which they obtained permission to visit the bank when they were arrested by the police on their way. Lawyer Akumey noted that the delay in investigation on the matter as well as the detention of the suspects constituted an infringement on their fundamental human rights. He said they were entitled to their individual freedom until they were found guilty.

The Police Prosecutor, ASP Peter Glabu pleaded with the court to detain the suspects to pave way for the police to continue with their investigations as granting them bail would definitely interfere with police investigations. The Presiding Judge, Mr David P.W. Amedior noted that the police were not firm in their investigations and urged them to conclude their investigations as early as possible to aid the administration of justice. The case has been adjourned to next month, December 6.