Four Fishermen remanded for murder

The Half-Assini District Magistrate Court in the Western Region, has remanded Four Fishermen in police custody for allegedly murdering a colleague during a fishing expedition.

They are Emmanuel Aidoo aka Kojo Aidoo, the Boat owner, Kwabena Sekou, Paul Eshun aka Nana Yaw and Francis Binney aka Kweku Mensah, all of Axim in the Nzema East Municipality.

The four were provisionally charged with murder but their pleas were not taken and they would reappear in court on Friday March 3.

Prosecuting, Police Detective Sergeant Richard Amoah, told the court presided over by Mr Abdul Majid Illiasu that at about 1000 hours on January 2, Robert Nyame Quansah, deceased, one Osaam now at large, and the four accused persons left Axim on-board "God Is King" fishing boat for a fishing expedition in Cote D' Ivoire, via the Gulf of Guinea.

He said the next day, the body of Quansah, with marks of assaults on the head, left ear and elbow, was found ashore at Bonyere near Half-Assini in the Jomoro District and a report was made to the Police who conveyed and deposited the body at the Half-Assini Government Hospital morgue.

The Prosecutor said about 1145 hours on February 7 the accused were seen at Axim and were arrested by the police and handed over to the Half-Assini Police for further investigation.

He said the accused said in the course of their voyage, at Ezinlibo waters near Bonyere, the deceased decided that he would not continue with the trip to Cote D' Ivoire to avoid being arrested over there.

Sergeant Amoah said the accused told him that when the deceased decided not to continue with the trip he picked a piece of Wawa board in the Boat and swam ashore while they continued with the voyage.

The Prosecutor said Aidoo the Boat Owner claimed he gave the deceased GH? 50.00 to use as transportation fare back to Axim but the other crew members said they did not know anything about the money.

He said the body of Quansah has since been buried after postmortem examination at the Half-Assini Government Hospital, which revealed "Assault and Asphyxia Secondary to Drowning " as cause of death.