The late Josephine Asante was killed in 2019 at her residence
The murder trial of the late Josephine Asante, a former Marketing and Public Affairs Manager of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), has hit a snag following the latest development in which the four accused persons standing trial for her murder have been discharged.
The accused persons, including a domestic worker (houseboy) of the deceased, Christian Adjei, as well as Richard Kwabena Kwakye, Dominic Owusu, and Frederick Owusu Oppong, were discharged due to insufficient evidence, after five years since the trial began.
The decision to discharge the accused persons by the TDC District Magistrate Court in Tema, presided over by Benedicta Antwi, was based on legal advice from the Attorney General’s Department, signed by Principal State Attorney Joshua Sackey.
The AG’s advice cited that the prosecution could not proceed, as the four individuals had been arrested and charged solely on the basis of suspicion.
Chief Inspector Hilda Asante Sarkodie, who led the prosecution, informed the Magistrate Court that the Attorney General’s advice further emphasised that mere suspicion, without corroborating material evidence, was insufficient to support criminal charges.
The AG also questioned the credibility of the prosecution’s case, highlighting concerns over its failure to identify the actual perpetrator behind the crime.
This formed the basis for the recommendation to discharge the four individuals.
Josephine Asante was fatally stabbed at her residence at community 25 in Tema in 2019 after she had returned home from a staff party at the company.
Asante was allegedly attacked in her bedroom shortly after returning from a party.
The attackers reportedly locked her inside and threw the keys onto the compound after the assault.
Notably, no valuable items were taken from the house, effectively ruling out robbery as a motive.
MAG/VPO
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