Motor taxi operator escapes death sentence

It was all tears of joy for a motor taxi operator, Bright Nana Owusu alias Gyamfi, after he was acquitted and discharged of murder by the Criminal Division of the High Court in Accra.

This was after a seven-member jury panel unanimously returned a not guilty verdict to the court on the judgment day, which sets him free.

Owusu, and another, David Nii Aryee, alias Shainu, earlier freed, were charged for killing one Mohammed Yahaya, at Oboum junction at Kwabenya in July 2017 following a misunderstanding.

Prior to being set free, he had been in lawful custody for over five years.

Owusu broke down in tears moments after the Court presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh acquitted and discharged him.

EIB Network’s Court Correspondent Murtala Inusah reports that Owusu would have been sentenced to death had he been found guilty of the offense by the jury.

According to the prosecution, on July 7, 2017 at about 9pm at the Abuom junction station, a misunderstanding ensued between a group of motor taxi operators.

The prosecution said, the misunderstanding was resolved but later on, another group was seen fighting Mohamed Yahaya (deceased person).

The prosecution noted that it was Owusu and Aryee, the 1st and 2nd accused persons respectively who were seen among the persons fighting the deceased.

Owusu was then accused of using a pavement block he was holding to hit the head of the deceased, who fell down immediately.

Aryee, according to the prosecution, was also seen holding something in his hand and attempting to hit the deceased with it.

He, however, did not hit the deceased because the deceased had already fallen from the impact of the pavement block allegedly used by the 1st accused on his head, the prosecution told the court.

The prosecution added that there was an attempt by persons to stop the fight between the accused persons and the deceased.

The accused persons were apprehended and over to the police while the deceased was immediately conveyed to a hospital.