It has emerged that the two women who instigated the lynching of the 90-year-old woman allegedly gave her concoction to drink to prove she was not a witch before she was physically manhandled till she died.
The revelation was made at the Tamale High Court in the Northern Region yesterday when the charge sheet was read to the two suspects.
The ringleader, Sherina Mohammed aka Hajia Filipina, 40; and Latifah Bumaye, 25, a trader believed to be an associate of the ringleader in the Akua Denteh lynching, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, murder and trial by ordeal.
Leading the prosecution, State Attorney Francis Asobayire told the court that the accused persons took the victim through unlawful trial which the laws of Ghana do not allow by compelling her to drink some concoction to prove she was not a witch resulting in her death, for which they have been arraigned.
The court interpreter then explained to the accused persons in Twi the prosecution’s charge before they responded that they did no wrong.
The panel of juror to help the court to try the case was not up to number for proceedings to go on, and for that matter, the Tamale High Court presided over by Justice Richard Kogyapwah adjourned the matter to November 18.
Abass Amankwa, counsel for the accused persons, tried to push for bail but the judge asked him to appeal formally.
Some Tamale residents besieged the court to catch a glimpse of the accused persons due to the controversy surrounding the case.
The gruesome lynching of Akua Denteh occurred at Kafaba, near Salaga in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region, thereby sparking national outrage.
The case was transferred from the Bole District Magistrate Court in the Savannah Region to the Tamale High Court.
Initially, five men namely Haruna Anass, 34; Issahaka Tanko, 35; Shaibu Murtala, 29; Sulemana Ali, 35, and Issahaka Sachebu, 32, were arrested in connection with the lynching but have since been granted bail.
However, it is unclear if they will be charged.
From Eric Kombat, Tamale