AG discontinues prosecution of soldiers in Rokko Frimpong's murder

Accra, Feb. 12, GNA - The State is no longer interested in prosecuting t= he five soldiers who were being held for the murder of the former Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Commercial Bank, Mr. Rokko Frimpong. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mrs Betty Mould Iddris= u disclosed this in a statement released in Accra.

It said the State had decided to issue a Nolle Prosequi in the case. The statement said though the Attorney General was not obliged to disclose reasons for the Nolle Prosequi, it had taken into consideration the public interest the case had generated and after reviewing the two case dockets in existence over the murder of Rokko Frimpong, it had come to th= e conclusion that it is more justifiable to prosecute the suspects who were=

initially charged by the Police for the murder.

They are Samuel McCarthy, alias Tugah, 25; William Agbavor, alias Willie, 29; Atta Kakra, 26; Foster Kwame Boakye, 23 and Francis Ankobeah,=

alias Nana Sei, 26. Two other suspected accomplices were said to be on th= e run. Initial Police report after the murder had indicated that the suspec= ts, on board a seized Opel Vectra, with registration number GR 4735 P and arm= ed with two pump action guns, one locally-made pistol and other dangerous implements, stormed the residence of Rokko Frimpong at about 8:30p.m. on June 28, 2006, and fired at him.

The statement, however, said there were questions concerning the involvement of the soldiers in the redenomination exercise. "The AG has advised the BNI to sustain their investigations of the five soldiers with particular reference to their role and possible involvement with regard to the redenomination exercise, which took place in July 2007," the statement said.

The soldiers are Sergeant Michael Arthur, Sergeant Richard Somuah, Sergeant Lamptey Hazel, and Corporal Charles Ankumah and Corporal Emmanue= l Antwi. They were arrested by the BNI in November and later charged with the=

murder of Mr. Frimpong. On December 15, 2009 the five soldiers were discharged by the Human Righ= ts Court, but were re-arrested and put before the Osu District Magistrate Co= urt on charges of conspiracy and murder three days later.

The court did not take their plea and remanded them into custody and further ordered the Police to produce a bill of indictment and summary of=

the evidence. In addition the Police were to provide the court with the results of forensic examination of the bullets used to kill the deceased. Mr Joe Aboagye-Debrah, one of the counsels for the accused persons, had expressed worry over the delay in the trial.

According to him, the accused persons were in a legal limbo because=

apart from their charges being read, their pleas had not been taken. He noted that no bill of indictment or summary evidence had been prepare= d on the case. Mr Aboagye-Debrah said he was aware of another docket with the Attorney General's Department and prayed the court to ask the prosecution to defin= e the case properly. "We all have the responsibility of ensuring that trial of the accused persons was expedited. The prosecution should be given time frame to work=

and complete their investigations. "The situation is distressing for the accused persons."

The prosecution had alleged that the accused persons were instructe= d by their officers to eliminate Mr Frimpong who had uncovered rot involvin= g some government officials. It said if the deceased was not eliminated those government officials wo= uld be in trouble. As a result the accused held several meetings and eventual= ly carried out their operation.

The prosecution said for their reward, the accused were allegedly given between GH¢5,000 and GH¢15,000. It said four of the accused persons had admitted taking the money but di= d not participate in the murder of the deceased while the remaining one den= ied taking it.