CAGED! Eric Kojo Duah
Six persons alleged to have aided Eric Kojo Dua in the gruesome murder of the two police officers in the Central Region have been discharged by a Kaneshie District Court in Accra.
This follows the decision of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to drop the charges levelled against them.
They include Isaac Amissah, Ibrahim Zakaria, Isaac Mensa, Oblitey Commey, Victor Yire and Fatawu Ahmed. They were initially charged with conspiracy to commit crime in the murder of Sgt. Michael Dzamasi, a service driver, and L/Cpl Awal Mohammed at a place called Big Apple at Buduburam, near Kasoa.
The deceased policemen were personnel of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) detachment at Kasoa, and their deaths sparked public outrage.
New Charges
Following the call by the prosecution for the discharge of the six men, the charge sheet and the facts of the case that were presented during the previous court sitting were also substituted.
New Suspects
The new charges saw three new suspects—all of whom are at large—as those who allegedly conspired with Eric Kojo Dua to murder the two police officers.
The new suspects are Mike Anim, one Theophilus and another person who was only identified as Kay.
Per the new charges, Kojo Dua is facing two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and another two counts of murder.
The other three suspects at large are each facing two counts of conspiracy to commit murder.
Latest Development
The prosecution led by ASP Sylvester Asare told the court that they had to substitute the old charge sheet due to certain ‘new developments’ in the case.
He stated that in light of the latest development, investigations are currently ongoing to apprehend the accomplices of Kojo Dua.
He, therefore, pleaded with the court presided over by Rosemond Doodua Agyiri to remand Dua to enable the police conduct further investigations.
Order
The presiding magistrate remanded the accused person in BNI custody, reminding him of his right to a lawyer.
Though this was his second appearance in court, he appeared to be struggling to engage a lawyer to defend him.
The presiding magistrate asked the BNI officials to give the accused person the opportunity to speak with his lawyer, asking Dua to report to her at the next sitting if he was denied that right.
The case was adjourned to October 9.
Murder
The two police officers were killed on August 28 by suspected armed robbers at a place called Big Apple near Buduburam, Kasoa, in the Central Region. The two officers were said to be on Task Force duties on the Kasoa-Winneba highway when the main suspect, Kojo Dua, and the other three suspects on board an unregistered Toyota Camry blatantly ignored the signal of the officers to stop and sped off.
The police officers chased the suspects and caught up with them a few metres away from KAAF University at Old Block around the Buduburam-Aprah road where they asked Eric Dua to step out of the vehicle but he refused.
An attempt by the police officers to apprehend the suspect led to a struggle between them and the accused was said to have rushed to the vehicle and pulled out a gun shooting the late L/Cpl Mohammed Awal in the left rib and on his left shoulder.
Sgt. Dzamasi, sensing danger, decided to run for his life but was also shot by Dua.
He then managed to seek refuge in a grocery store but Dua followed him to the store where he shot him three more times in the head leading to his death.
G/L/Cpl Awal Mohammed who sustained gunshot wounds was also pronounced dead shortly on arrival at the hospital.
The other three suspects—Mike Anim, Theophilus and Kay who were in the vehicle with Dua—sped off and later abandoned the vehicle at Kokrobite and absconded.
A search conducted in the vehicle led to discovery of a document regarding a registered pistol bearing the name of Kojo Dua.
Revenge Mission
Kojo Duah was on the run after the deadly incident and was later arrested on the Senchi Bridge on Saturday, August 31, in the Eastern Region.
He was taken to the Akosombo Police Station after his arrest where he allegedly admitted to the murder of Sgt. Dzamesi.
He is reported to have said he killed Sgt. Dzamesi out of revenge for the death of his mother because he was convinced that the deceased was responsible for it.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak