Samuel Udoetuk Wills and John Oji
The two Nigerians arrested in connection with the kidnapping and alleged killing of the four Takoradi girls have finally got a lawyer to defend them in court.
The counsel, Mark Bosia, is from the Legal Aid and his Chamber is in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
The two accused persons – Samuel Udoetuk Wills and John Oji – are currently before the Sekondi High Court ‘one’ for the commencement of their trial after completing the committal proceedings.
However, at the last court sitting, the presiding judge, Justice Adjei-Frimpong, insisted on legal representation for the two suspects.
This was after the two had told the court that they had no legal representation and appealed to the court to make efforts to get them lawyers.
The judge, therefore, indicated that he would write to the Legal Aid to provide the suspect with legal representation.
At the court sitting yesterday, because the offence of the accused persons is a capital one, the judge empanelled a seven-member jury to determine whether the suspects are guilty of murder or not.
He told the jurors that since the case was a matter of public interest, the Chief Justice had instructed that the court expedite the trial.
He said to this end, the High Court would be sitting during legal break and the lawyers in the case had to forfeit their break.
Meanwhile, the accused persons had pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against them.
Later in an interview, the counsel for the suspects said he was prepared to assist the two Nigerians in whatever way, adding “everyone deserves justice.”
“I was initially not in the matter so I have asked for all the documents that had been served on the suspects to study for the conduct of their defence.
“I have also asked that the prison officers should give me access to the suspects to liaise with them when the need arises as the prosecutor does with the families of the victims,” he said.
The case was adjourned to August 6, 2020 for the case management and to fix a new date for the trial to begin.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Sekondi