Court orders exhumation of woman

Agbozume (V/R), Sept. 19, GNA- A Magistrate's Court at Agbozume has ordered the exhumation of the body of a married woman who died in unexplained circumstances on September 7, this year at Aflao for autopsy.

Justine Mama Agbagli, a mother of three, died in his fathers house at Aflao and was allegedly buried secretly by the father, one James Kwaku Agbagli.

Justine died a day after she was said to have told her husband that her father had raped her and repeated the allegation before arbitrators in the presence of her father. Mr Eric Fiamordzi, Presiding Magistrate also remanded into Police custody Agbagli, 60, the deceased person's father who was charged for hindrance of inquest. Agbagli's plea was not taken would be brought before the court again on October 1, this year. Granting the exhumation permit on Friday, the court directed that the Ketu district sanitary and medical staff be part of the exhumation team and that the body is sent to the Police Hospital in Accra for autopsy.

Mr Nicholas Hlordzi, Police Inspector told the court that the deceased, Justine, said to have suffered intermittent illness for the past three years, on September 6, this year, revealed to the husband that her father Agbagli had sex with her sometime ago. He said the chief of Avoeme, at Aflao who was hinted about the allegation sent two of his elders together with the accused to ascertain the facts from the deceased who repeated the allegation in the presence of his father and the others. The prosecution said Justine's maternal relations believing that her illness was due to the incest committed, asked Justine to pass the night in her father's house while they consulted others what steps to take to appease the gods.

He said, Vivian Agbagli, the deceased's sister called at their father's home the next day to see how her sister was doing but was told by her father that she died the very day she came and that he (father) had buried her on the compound. Mr Hlordzi said Agbagli, the deceased's father then warned Vivian not to tell anybody about what happened, but she defied him and told others leading to Agbagli's arrest. The prosecution said Agbagli admitted burying the deceased without anyone's knowledge but insisted on his innocence on the allegation of incest.