Opinions of Friday, 12 March 2021

Columnist: Rockson Adofo

When will the family of murdered MP Boakye Danquah get justice?

Justice yet to be served for the death of JB Danquah Justice yet to be served for the death of JB Danquah

Justice delayed is justice denied. For over five years now, the trial of the self-confessed assassin of NPP Member of Parliament Joseph Boakye Danquah, Sexy Dondon, is still ongoing in the courts.

How long must it take the police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), the Prosecution Service and the Court to successfully prosecute the until now sole perpetrator of that heinous crime against the deceased?

For investigation purposes to detect the perpetrator of a crime as in the event of not knowing the person, you have first to consider things among which are the following.

The victim's last movements preceding his or her murder. His social and political background. Who could be his political or social enemies and how or why? These and many others can inform the investigators as to who can be potential suspects. You then use the method of elimination to narrow down the number of suspects to a few very likely potential suspects able to cause the crime.

You then investigate them thoroughly well using all possibly credible, permissible and acceptable investigatory modus operandi.

However, in the case of the murder of the MP, there is an arrested suspect who has self-confessed with committing the crime. If the police, prosecutors and the court have a problem nailing his paymasters who contracted him to commit the crime, or better still, his accomplices, why don't they treat him as a sole author of the crime to bring closure to the case?

Once, it was alleged that one then DCOP Dompare, now retired, was the first police officer to handle the case of investigating or taking statements from Sexy Dondon when he was first arrested.

Mr Dompare was immediately reassigned to the Central region, moved from Accra, once he probably became aware of some mentioned persons likely to be connected with Danquah's murder.

Mr Dompare is alive. Why can't he be contacted to clear the air about whether or not the allegation holds any water?

Additionally, the council (lawyer) defending Sexy Dondon has resigned, claiming he could no longer defend him because he, Sexy Dondon, had told the truth. By telling the truth, Sexy Dondon has made it impossible for him to continue to defend him, he is on record to have asserted.

What truth did Sexy Dondon tell the lawyer that has compromised the lawyer's ability to continue to defend him?

Our lawyers not there to assist the courts to administer justice? Why can't the lawyer reveal the truth told him by Sexy Dondon to the court to enable the court to expeditiously to administer justice to the already delayed case?

Finally, Sexy Dondon says he is being haunted by the ghost of Danquah so he will tell the truth. Subsequently, he has said, he was contracted for a fee of Ghs20,000 to kill the MP, if the figure recently appeared on the Ghana online news portal is correct.

He was assured by his contracting employer(s) that he would be arrested but they would ensure he was released, he claims.

Who could have given him that assurance that motivated him to take up that daunting but criminal task, knowing he would certainly be arrested? Could it not be someone in power who could issue that nonsensical and shameful Ghanaian " order from above" that negates justice to encourage the perpetration and perpetuation of crimes?

I am personally not happy about the delay in giving justice to murdered Boakye Danquah and his families.

If no one else can be an accomplice in the murder as per the investigations and evidence available to the police and the court, please decide the case on the self-confession by the known perpetrator of the crime, thus, Sexy Dondon, to bring closure to the case.

The more the case is delayed, the greater the excruciating pain suffered by the decedent's family.