Big Six effigies’ destruction case adjourned to Sep 18

The Kwabenya Circuit Court has adjourned the case of Newwell Gavu to September 18. Gavu is being held for allegedly destroying statues of the Big Six at the Airport Roundabout in Accra.

The adjournment will allow the court to receive a comprehensive report on the mental status of the accused, a 37-year-old CCTV installer.

The court has already received a preliminary report following Gavu’s examination at the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital. This examination was conducted after the court ordered the police to take Gavu to the facility for a mental evaluation.

According to the case investigator, authorities at Pantang Hospital have indicated that Gavu will need to undergo a brain scan. The hospital also plans to interview the accused’s parents and relatives before providing a comprehensive report on his mental status.

The investigator noted that the police require financial support to carry out the necessary scans, as the Pantang Hospital, Police Hospital, and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital lack the required machines, which are only available at expensive private hospitals.

The court has advised the accused’s family to support the police financially for the scans and has appealed to Pantang Hospital authorities to expedite the scanning process and comprehensive report.

Gavu, who is being held for allegedly vandalizing the monumental effigies of the Big Six, has not yet entered a plea. He was arrested by the police on August 31, 2024, for allegedly destroying the statues of Kwame Nkrumah, Joseph Boakye (‘J.B.’) Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, William Ofori Atta, and Edward Akufo-Addo at the Airport Roundabout in Accra.

The police commended the public and Airport Security for their vigilance, which led to Gavu’s arrest. The Attorney General’s Department has taken over the prosecution of the case, with State Attorney Natalie Opoku Hammond representing the state.

According to the case details, Gavu resides in Oyarifa, Accra. The complainant, whose name is withheld, saw Gavu with a hammer breaking the Big Six statues while on his way to work at Kotoka International Airport. The complainant reported Gavu, leading to his arrest.

During interrogation, Gavu gave inconsistent statements but later claimed that a spirit in his dream directed him to destroy the statues. Police investigations revealed that Gavu, who lived with his parents, had been exhibiting abnormal behavior.

His uncle had previously taken him to Pantang Psychiatric Hospital, where he was treated, discharged, and placed on medication. The police also discovered that Gavu had stopped taking his medication, burned all his hospital documents, discarded his medicines, and left home.