Deckhand appears before court for murder

Sekondi, May 12, GNA - James Atikpoe, a 29-year-old deckhand was on Thursday appeared before a Sekondi District Magistrate Court charged with murder.

The accused, a deckhand on MV AFKO 206, a Korean fishing vessel based in Tema pleaded not guilty, will re-appear on May 20, this year. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Joe Hedidor, said at about 20:00 hours on May 5, this year, the vessel was fishing at high seas at Cape Three Points when the accused suddenly grew wild and started chasing his crew mates with a broken bottle.

He said after sometime, he threw away the broken bottle, went for a long iron bar and continued chasing his mates.

Chief Inspector Hedidor said the accused got hold of Frank Ahadzi, hit him twice on the head with the iron bar and he fell unconscious. He said the other members of the crew managed to capture the accused and when the vessel made an emergency stop over at Takoradi, the victim was sent to the Ghana Ports and Harbour Authority Hospital and the accused was handed over to the Police.