I Want My Case to Continue, MP Tells Court

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Hon. Hawa Yakubu, yesterday told the Madina Ga District Magistrate Court that she wants her case to continue because the threat on her life is getting closer by the day.

Hon. Yakubu made this known to the court at the time the Magistrate, Mrs. Ivy Heward-Mills, was reminding counsel for the defendant, Mr. Tony Kwakye, about a concern which was raised for a peaceful settlement by a senior lawyer. This happened after two of the prosecution witnesses had given their testimonies and a date was being fixed for an adjournment.

The magistrate further said the chief of staff had even called to show interest for a peaceful settlement.

But the MP, known as The Iron Lady of Ghanaian politics, noted, "I am aware of the interventions, but I know the threat is real and I want to continue with the case."

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP, whose temper almost flared up as she was walking out of the court, said, "I am an executive member of the party and since the case started nobody has ever approached me about the case "

Hawa said she lives not too far from the State House and the chief of staff has not even called her to make his intention known to her.

All this happened after two of the prosecution witnesses had testified before the court yesterday.

The first of the two witnesses to testify, Miss. Joanna Achuliwor, a junior sister of the late Hon. John Achuliwor, MP for Navrongo Central, said she was at the Paga airstrip in Navrongo on March 16, this year when the accused Mrs. Henrietta Aggudey, a businesswoman, gave her a message to be delivered to Hon. Hawa Yakubu the effect that they had waged war against the MP.

"On March 16, 2003, was the day my brother was buried, we went to Paga airstrip where sympathizers and friends who came for the funeral were departing for Accra. I was privileged to be there earlier than Madam Yakubu," Joanna told the court.

She continued, "And there I happened to see Sister Haiti (she was referring to the accused), Hon. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey and some other ladies in a pick up. It was there that Sister Henrietta called me and asked 'Did you see Hawa yesterday?' and I said yes."

Witness said the accused told her 'if you see her (Madam Yakubu) tell her we have waged war against her, John has been buried, anything can happen."

Led in evidence by Police Inspector Ebenezer Darko, Joanna said because of the intimacy she enjoyed with the accused she decided to crack a joke and asked her, whether she was capable of waging a war and be able to withstand a counter attack.

At this point, she told the court that her brother, Iron, who gave evidence before the court during the last sitting, prompted her to be serious and not to take the message as a joke. She said it was then that she took message seriously.

"I left and informed my family members about what had happened," Joanna went on, adding "not too long Hawa came and said she was going to greet Jake who was standing under a tree, my sister and I accompanied her."

She said after Hawa had completed the exchange of greetings and they walked back to a structure from where they left to go toward Hon. Jake and the others, she informed Madam Yakubu about the threat and they advised that she left Navrongo.

However, the next of the two prosecution witnesses who gave evidence yesterday, Dr. Gheysika-Adombire Agambila, Deputy Minister for Ports and Railways and Harbours, said when they were disembarking from the airforce plane he overheard the accused saying she knew what Hawa had done over the years and she was ready for her. Hearing continues on June 10, 2003.