An Accra Central District Court has dismissed an application to refer Daniel Asiedu, the 19- year-old man accused of murdering Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, for psychiatric examination.
The magistrate said his demeanor did not depict someone who was mentally challenged as all the questions posed to the accused were answered.
According to Augustine Obuor, lawyer for Asiedu who made his first appearance in the case yesterday, his client ought to be referred to the mental hospital after a short conference with him in court.
Although he insisted that he was unable to tell the court the reason for his request, he was certain that he had a very good reason for his client, nicknamed Sexy Don Don, to see a psychiatrist.
The late Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu
Seclusion
Mr Obuor said he also had a problem with the manner the prosecution had discriminated against his client at the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) cells.
The lawyer stated that Sexy Don Don was not allowed to walk about and exercise like the other inmates did while in the custody of the security agency.
While stressing that his client was being kept in a ‘condemned cell,’ Obuor said he (Sexy Don Don) was innocent until proven guilty, especially when his plea had not been taken in the court.
In the view of Lawyer Obuor, the action by the persecution was tantamount to pre-colonial punishment, adding that his client must be taken to a normal cell where he could interact with other human beings.
Asiedu Speaks
Daniel Asiedu said he was kept in a box-like confinement at the BNI cells and that he was only allowed out when he was visiting the washroom or going to wash down.
He said three days before his first appearance in court, he complained about his situation but nothing had been done about it so far.
Sexy Don Don who broke down in court for the first time claimed he had not been told the reasons he was being kept alone.
Superintendent Francis Baah, who said he was hearing the plight of the accused for the first time, said he was going to act on the complaint.
However, he said ‘condemned cell’ was at the Nsawam Prisons not at the BNI.
Judge’s Interrogation
Stephen Owusu, the trial judge, after interrogating Asiedu, was emphatic that he (Asiedu) was of sound mind.
For instance, the judge asked him where he hailed from, to which he initially said Ghana but upon further explanation, he said he hailed from Larteh in the Eastern Region, according to what his (Asiedu’s) father told him.
The judge in his quest to establish the sanity or otherwise of the accused, further asked in Twi if Asiedu knew his mother, to which he answered in the negative, explaining that he had never known his mother but rather was raised by his grandmother at Madina Social Welfare in Accra.
. Asked about his age, he said he turned 20 on Valentine Day – February 14, 2016 – and also had other siblings.
For this reason Mr Owusu told counsel that the accused person could not be mad because “the conversation so far has been coherent.”
He said the court would decline the request to have the accused referred to the psychiatric hospital for now.
The judge, nonetheless, stated that the accused was not supposed to be kept in a solitary confinement while in the custody of the BNI.
He said Asiedu must be given his full rights which must not be infringed upon.
Sitting continues on March 14, 2016.
Charges
Daniel Asiedu has been charged with murder contrary to Section 46 of Act 29/60.
According to the prosecution led by Supt Francis Baah, Sexy Don Don on February 9, this year, at about 1am at Shiashie, a suburb of Accra, intentionally and unlawfully caused the death of the MP. The accused was brought to court with clean shave against his earlier bushy-looking hair.
According to the police fact sheets, the accused had said he stabbed the late MP three times.
Daniel claimed that he entered the home armed with a knife, a catapult and a cutter.
The accused had earlier told the police that he was contracted to kill the MP for a prize of GH¢2,000, part of which he used to by shoes.
He said that he was at Zongo Junction at Madina on February 8, 2016 where he deals in second-hand mobile phones when he was approached by two of his friends, a certain Avenger and Junior Agogo.
The two friends, he said, told him that they had a job for him to execute at a fee of GH¢2,000 but even though he was not told the nature of the assignment, he claimed he knew it was about stealing.
Security Man
Upon reaching Shiashie, he said, they alighted at a house with flowers planted in front of it. One of the friends then called the security man and told him that they had come, he alleged.
On their way to Shiashie, Asiedu recalled overhearing one of the friends talking to someone on the mobile phone but he could not tell whom he was speaking to.
When the security man was alerted about their arrival, he allegedly proceeded to open the gate and when they entered, he (security man) went to the back of the house and brought along a ladder which he placed against the wall.
One of the friends, he said, climbed first, followed by another and after waiting for sometime he (Asiedu) followed them to the top via the ladder and gained access to the bedroom of the late MP through the window.
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