Court remands farmer for alleged murder

Techiman (B/A), Dec. 11, GNA - The Techiman circuit court, presided over by Mr. Godwin A. Kwasikuma, has remanded a 30-year-old farmer, John Marbel from Mangoase near Nsuta into prison custody for murder. Marbel, whose plea was not taken would re-appear before the same court on January 4, next year.

Presenting the facts of the case, Police Chief Inspector Comfort Adubia Nyamesah said about three weeks ago, the suspect collected a single-barrel shotgun from one Kwame Sakyi for a hunting expedition. Chief Inspector Nyamesah said on November 30, this year, the suspect went to the bush in the night for hunting and after fruitless search for a game he returned home but failed to remove the cartridge kept in the gun and kept it in his room. The prosecution added that, on December 3, at about 19.30 the owner of the gun, Sakyi sent a minor Kwadwo Yaro to inform the suspect to bring his gun.

Yaro conveyed the message to the suspect and upon that Marbel (suspect) entered his room and brought out the gun, which was still loaded with the cartridge.

Chief Inspector Nyamesah further told the court that, the gun, while being insdpected by the suspect, went off and hit the stomach of a nursery pupil who was playing with his peers inside the compound of the house. She said Yaw Gyam Yeboah who heard the gunshot rushed to the scene and collected the gun from the suspect who was standing helpless. The people who rushed to the scene arrested the suspect and brought him to the Techiman police. Meanwhile the body of the child has been deposited at the Okomfo Anokye Teaching hospital for autopsy.