KNUST lecturer faces fresh charges, remanded over wife’s disappearance
This follows fresh charges of kidnapping and deception of a public officer, filed against him by Prosecutors from the Attorney-General’s office.
The Kumasi High Court has remanded into prison custody, Dr. Wilberforce Asare, a lecturer of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), for his alleged involvement in the disappearance of his wife, Rhodaline Amoah-Darko, a staff of the Lands Commission in Kumasi.
This follows fresh charges of kidnapping and deception of a public officer, filed against him by Prosecutors from the Attorney-General’s office.
In addition, the court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of two persons; Yaw Boateng and Justice Appiah, for possession of Rhodaline’s phone.
The former is said to have stolen an Infinix phone belonging to Rhodaline, whereas the latter is said to have bought the phone from Yaw Boateng.
They were expected to appear in court today, February 22, 2022, but they failed to show up.
Even though the lawyer for Dr. Wilberforce Asare asked for bail for his client, Prosecutors opposed, arguing that some witnesses who may be called upon during trial, were from the Department of Petroleum and Engineering at KNUST, a department the accused heads.
Presiding Judge, Justice Daniel Obeng, has therefore asked Prosecutors from the Attorney-General’s department to come up with all disclosures during the next hearing.
The case has been adjourned to March 8, 2022.
On Monday, February 21, 2022, the Asokwa District Court discharged him, after which he was rearrested as new charges had been filed against him at the High Court.
He was on November 12, 2021, remanded into police custody after being provisionally charged with kidnapping.
According to the police, Dr. Aggrey sent messages from his wife’s phone on the day he claimed she had been kidnapped. The police say communication from her mobile phone, alleged to have been from kidnappers demanding a ransom, came from a cell tower close to the KNUST campus home of the accused.
The police said in his caution statement, Dr. Aggrey admitted that he sent those messages through his wife’s phone.
He however failed to provide information regarding the whereabouts of his wife.
