Relatives of the late chief have appealed to the Chief Justice to replace the presiding judge
Scores of relatives of the late Chief, Nene Mensah Zottorvie V, whose corpse was burnt at Tehey, a suburb of Sege in the Ada West District of the Greater Accra Region, have raised eyebrows over the conduct of the presiding judge who is trying the murder case at the Ada District Circuit Court.
The conduct of the judge, according to them, was so appalling to the extent that they find it extremely difficult to collaborate with the police prosecutor and court to try the case.
It is along this line that they have appealed to the Chief Justice (CJ) to replace the presiding judge in order to ensure fair trial of the case to allow justice to prevail.
Speaking to Today, one of the children of the late chief, Mr Atsu Zottorvie, stated that they were surprised about the supportive posture of the judge on the side of the six suspects who have been apprehended and charged for the killing of a mourner and the burning of the body of Nene Mensah Zottorvie V, following disagreement over the burial site at Tehey.
The prime suspects, who are aged between 30 and 56, include two supposed chiefs and four others currently standing trial at the Ada District Circuit Court.
Mr Zottorvie expressed uncertainty of justice from the court, adding that “we have no faith in the judge sitting on the case following his intimate relationship with the lawyer for the defendants and therefore making a passionate appeal to the chief justice to as, a matter of urgency, change the judge.”
According to the son of the late chief, his family fears a possible skidding of justice rather in favour of the suspects. He further added that the laxity on the part of the police to arrest and prosecute suspects for unlawful acts in the area has given the perpetrators the impetus to continue to unleash their unacceptable behaviours on his people
“I suspect the police in the area are in bed with the perpetrators of these unlawful acts,” he stated.
According to him, any reprisal attack from his people would result in nasty scenes in the area.
Mr Zottorvie and his relatives claimed they have been living in absolute fear in the village uncertain when the people of Caesarkope would decide to unleash their fury on them.
Some family members of the late chief who spoke to Today on conditions of anonymity recounted an incident that occurred when the police just massaged the matter and left it unsettled only for a thing like that to resurface.
According to them, the people from Kubikope recently were winning sand in a gravel pit in their territory only for them to be attacked by some young men from Caesarkope.
But to their surprise, the young men from Caesarkope called for reinforcement with some of them holding locally manufactured guns pointing to their heads and ready to pull the trigger at any least provocation.
Furthermore, they accused the Assemblyman of the area, Doe Caesar, of mobilising the youth to attack and assault Mr Jacob Kubi and Akplihe Kubi.
Ten suspects, according to them, were later picked and arraigned before the Ada District Circuit Court but only 9 reported at the court.
