Judge fumes at prosecutors

Accra, June 1 GNA - Mr Iddrisu Mahamadu, an Accra Circuit Judge, on Monday expressed frustration at State prosecutors who are fond of coming to court to ask for adjournments, which he said led to the delay of trials.

He stressed: "I am sick and tired of the routine adjournments that tend to delay the court process."

Mr Mahamadu who did not mince words, told State Prosecutors from the Attorney General Department, that he had taken a decision to discharge suspects who had been in prison custody for more than five years, without any proper charges against them.

He therefore asked the prosecutors to inform their superiors do their work well and ensure that suspects brought to court were properly charged and investigated.

He said he spent most of the time adjourning cases of the prosecution to the detriment of other cases.

Mr Iddrisu also had to discharge a suspect, Mohammed Aziz who had been in prison custody for more than five years for want of prosecution. Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Isaac Johnson Tetteh Okumarfo had testified in the ongoing trial of six Policemen and five others allegedly involved in the robbery of a Ghanaian businessman of 53,000 dollars and other personal belongings at a Dzorwulu Hotel in Accra.

The accused are Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Kwapong, Chief Inspector Thomas Adu, Sergeant John Adjapong, Corporal Lawrence Dennis Quansah, Lance Corporal Karim Muntari and Constable Benjamin Blejumah.

The rest are Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi aka Kwame Tawiah and Bismark Ampofo.

They are being held on charges of conspiracy. Apart from DSP Kwapong, the rest are facing additional charge of robbery.

They have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Constable Ken Duodu Acheampong, one Jeffery aka Kay and three others are on the run. ACP Tetteh Okumarfo, who is an administrator at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Headquarters said by the Service Instructions of the Police Act of 1972, every police station should have station and personal dairies for action.

He said when personnel receive instruction from their superiors directing them to take action; they must first record the instructions in the station diary and also their personal ones. He said the service instructions were among the basic things that were taught at the Police Training Depot, which every service personnel should be familiar with.

The case was adjourned to June 3, 2009.