Ashaley Botwe Murder: I’m innocent – L100 student to court, trial starts Sept. 18

A first-year (Level 100) student at University of Ghana who has been held for the murder of Frank Kofi Osei, a Ghanaian resident in Canada has said she is “innocent” of the crime.

Safina Mohammed Adizatu who was officially charged with murder, told the Adentan District Court he was not at the crime scene where her boyfriend was murdered.

Safina aka Safina Diamond, during the committal proceedings, told the court that, “I am innocent.”

She added, that, “at the time of the incident, I was not in the house, but near the area, making calls.”

Following the committals, she is expected to stand trial for murder at the High Court in Accra beginning from September 18, 2023.

Frank, (now deceased), was gruesomely murdered at Ashley Botwe School Junction in July 2022 when he visited Safina, his girlfriend.

State to parade 9 witnesses

State Prosecutors led by Nana Ama Adinkra, a State Attorney, told the court that it would be calling nine witnesses in the trial.

The witnesses, the Prosecution, said will include Michael Fifi Ampofo Arku, earlier held as an accomplice, but was discharged upon advice of the Attorney General on the case docket.

The State Attorney also indicated that, the prosecution will be tendering in some 31 exhibits.

The items to be tendered include autopsy report, five huge dog chains, cello tape, four padlocks with 10 keys, a cutter, a pair of gloves, three knives and accused person’s various investigation caution statements.

Arguments

Lawyers for Safina, had earlier, raised a preliminary objection against the prosecution’s inability to place all the exhibits at the Registry of the Court before tendering them.

But, the prosecution in response described Defence counsel’s assertion as “unwarranted” and “blown out of proportion.”

Background

It was the case of the prosecution that, on Sunday July 24, 2022, Osei, who was on vacation in Ghana, visited Safina, his finance, who lived at Ashaley Botwe School Junction and decided to pass the night with

her.

The prosecution indicated that in the night, Safina, Arku and other accomplices yet to be arrested, allegedly stabbed Osei with a knife and strangled him.

It said Osei’s blood was allegedly cleaned from the floor by Safina and her accomplices while the body was in the room for 24 hours.

The body of Osei, According to the Prosecution, was dragged from the first floor of the storey building through the stir case.

It said the body was dumped at the gate of the house, where the deceased had parked his Toyota Tundra.

Safina Diamond allegedly called the Police, claiming that her boyfriend, who visited her, had died in her room.

When the Police proceeded to the scene, they found the body of Osei lying at the gate of Safina’s house. Safina was consequently arrested for investigations.