Trial of 2019 Budumburam Police killings stalling over inability to compose jury
Eric Kofi Duah and Michael Osafo Adjei have been accused of shooting and killing Sgt. Michael Dzamesi and Lance Corporal Awal Mohammed, after they requested the accused persons to stop for a search.
The inability of the state to get jurors who would adjudicate over the matter of the killing of two policemen at Budumburam in August 2019 means the case has still not been heard by the High Court.
Eric Kofi Duah and Michael Osafo Adjei have been accused of shooting and killing Sgt. Michael Dzamesi and Lance Corporal Awal Mohammed, after they requested the accused persons to stop for a search.
Eric and Michael reportedly refused the order and instead opened fire on the policemen, leading to their deaths.
The matter was committed to trial for murder by the Kaneshie District Court. It was expected that a jury would be empaneled on 20th May 2021, for the trial to commence.
However, according to news reports filed by Accra-based Citi News, the trial judge, El-Freda Denkyi cited the difficulty in getting jurors for said processes. Consequently, the judge allowed a one-month grace period within which the court was hopeful it would secure the jurors it needed.
At the hearing of the case on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, however, the court has still not been able to compose the jury it needs for the case to be heard, due to some challenges, according to State Attorney, Nana Ama Prempeh. She has thus requested another adjournment of the hearing.
Meanwhile, neither the accused nor their lawyers were in court today, according to Citi News.
Hearing of the case is now slated for 1st July 2021, by which time the trial judge, Justice El-Freda Denkyi is optimistic of change in the present circumstances.
