Ya Na trial adjourned to December 8

Accra, Dec. 2, GNA - An Accra Fast Track High Court hearing the Ya-Na alleged murder trial on Thursday said it had not received an affidavit filed by Defence Counsel in opposition to a writ filed by the prosecution. The writ was to call for fresh evidence, bill of indictment and summary of evidence.

Mr Phillip Addison, lead counsel for the accused persons said they had filed the documents at the registry but there had been a mix-up somewhere and were not on the court's docket.

Ms Gertrude Aikins, Director of Public Prosecution said prosecution had also not received copies of the documents in question. Mr Justice E.K. Ayebi, the trial judge adjourned the matter to December 8 for the mix-up to be corrected.

Mr Anthony Rexford Wiredu, Chief State Attorney, had told the court on November 29 that the prosecution would file a new motion to call for fresh evidence, bill of indictment and summary of evidence. He said the application would replace the previous motion filed to introduce new evidence. The defence counsel said they would file an affidavit in opposition to the writ.

So far 12 witnesses have testified in the case in which 15 persons are standing trial for their alleged involvement in the murder of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, King of Dagbon and 30 others in March 2002. They have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to murder and murder. The accused persons are Mohammed Habib Tijani, Former Yendi DCE, Iddrisu Iddi, 76, Alhaji Baba Iddrisu Abdulai, 54, Kwame Alhassan, 53, and Mohammadu Abdulai, 57.

The others are Saibu Mohammed, 34, Alhassan Mohammed Briamah, 40, Alhassan Ibrahim, Mohammed Mustapha and Sani Moro. The rest are Baaba Ibrahim, Yakubu Usifu, Ahmed Abukari, Abdul Razak Usifu and Alhassan Braimah.

Zakaria Forest, the man alleged to have cut-off the head and hands of the Ya- Na, is at large.

The prosecution's case is that in March 2002, the Ya-Na and some of his elders were killed following a clash between the two royal gates in Dagbon - the Abudus and Andanis.

After the clash, Idrissu Gyamfo and Yidana Sugri were arrested and prosecuted for the alleged murder but they were acquitted and discharged. The government in a fresh attempt to find the murderers conducted a dawn swoop at Yendi during which 41 persons were rounded up. After screening them at Bimbilla, 33 were granted self-recognisance bail, while the rest were brought to Accra. Some of them were subsequently arrested and arraigned. 2 Dec. 10