Court warns accused person

Asamankese, May 8, GNA - The Asamankese Circuit Court Judge, Mr Emmanuel Siameh, has warned an accused person, Samuel Nyarko, a farmer, standing trial for intentionally and unlawfully causing harm, that he could be charged with contempt if proven that he scared away a vital prosecution witness. The prosecution said Nyarko had warned the witness that if he gave evidence in the case, he would send him to "juju" in Togo to be killed spiritually.

Asamankese, May 8, GNA - The Asamankese Circuit Court Judge, Mr Emmanuel Siameh, has warned an accused person, Samuel Nyarko, a farmer, standing trial for intentionally and unlawfully causing harm, that he could be charged with contempt if proven that he scared away a vital prosecution witness. The prosecution said Nyarko had warned the witness that if he gave evidence in the case, he would send him to "juju" in Togo to be killed spiritually. As a result of the threat, the witness failed to show up, even though the court had ordered him to do so. The complainant, Mr Frank Agbede, corroborated the prosecutor, Police Chief Inspector Kate Ogyiri where upon the judge said the witness should be warned to be in court on May 18 or be arrested. He told Nyarko, who is on bail, that if witness confirmed in court that he had threatened him, he would not deal leniently with him. The case, which had been outstanding since 2007, is that Nyarko borrowed a bag from Mr Agbede and travelled to Nigeria with it. On his return, however, he failed to return it and this led to quarrels between them. On October 13, 2007, Mr Agbede, a cocoa purchasing clerk, was riding on his bicycle to pay for cocoa when Nyarko attacked him and injured him seriously and had to go for plastic surgery on the face at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.