The High Court that is hearing the case in which two teens are accused of murdering a 10-year-old kid in Kasoa for money rituals will no longer hold a jury trial.
Because of the accused people's ages, the court has decided to proceed with a summary trial rather than a jury trial, as scheduled yesterday.
Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, the presiding judge, stated that the court's judgment was made in conformity with the Juvenile Justice Act of 2003. (ACT 653).
"I had mentioned before today that we would impanel the jury for the trial of this case. However, given the accused people's ages, one of whom is 18 and the other is 15, and the Juvenile Justice Act, it may not be necessary to have them tried by a jury," the court said on May 12, 2022.
On August 16, 2021, the Kaneshie District Court, presided over by Ms. Rosemond Agyiri Duodoo, committed the youths, a 15-year-old boy (name withheld) and his accused accomplice, who is 18 years, to stand trial at the High Court on the accusation of murder.
What exactly does this imply?
"A charge lodged jointly against a juvenile and a person who has achieved the age of eighteen years shall be heard," says section 17 (3) of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2003 (Act 653).
As a result, the court has set the Case Management Conference for May 26, 2022, as well as the dates for the trial to officially begin.
New Attorney
Martin Kpebu, on the other hand, has identified himself as the 18-year-old suspect's new legal agent.
This came when Samuel Atuah, who had been representing the two from the committal stages in 2021 to the High Court, formally on May 11, announced he could only represent the 15-year-old suspect who admitted to his role in the crime.
While the 15-year-old suspect has admitted to their role in the murder, the 18-year-old suspect has denied it. On April 3, last year, the two are accused of killing Ishmael Mensah Abdallah for ritual purposes after luring him into an unfinished structure.
They reportedly murdered him with a cement block and a club.
The prosecution's evidence
The two teens who resided in Lamptey had been friends since 2008, according to the evidence given at the Magistrate court.
The first accused is accused of viewing television channels that featured Mallams and other spiritualists promoting their abilities to turn people into billionaires in an instant.
According to the prosecution, the accused made his intentions known to the 18-year-old, who suggested a spiritualist in the Volta Region who might help them.