‘Absentee Juror’ appears in court as trial of Kasoa teenagers’ murder case starts

The juror in the Kasoa teenagers’ murder case, who absented himself from the last sitting, appeared before an Accra High Court today.

This was after the court presided over by Justice Mrs Lydia Osei Marfo last week ordered him to appear in court or face arrest.

Last week, the court had to adjourn the matter following the absence of the juror.

A foreman of the seven-member jury had informed the court that the juror, an employee of the Department of Social Welfare, had written to the court abandoning the trial.

The court did not take kindly to the foreman’s excuse, because the absence of the juror would compel the court to start its proceedings afresh.

When the case was called today, the court’s registrar was made to explain how the letter written by the juror abandoning the trial was not received early by the court.

The registrar said he had shown the letter to some court clerks in two out of five courts.

“Next time you get a letter kindly send it to all the courts,” the court said.

The juror said after discussions with his superiors, he had decided to continue his work as a juror.

The trial finally commenced with the State calling its first prosecution witness, Mr Frank Mensah Abdallah, father of the murdered 11-year-old boy known as Ishmael Mensah Abdallah.

Mr Abdallah, who was led in evidence by Nana Adomah Osei, a Senior State Attorney, said he was the father of the deceased and admitted knowing the juvenile offenders.

He said the first accused (the minor) was his son’s friend and that he got to know the second accused person because of the case.

The first prosecution witness said in April 2021, he received a phone call from Ishmael, his son asking him to visit the family because he (father) had been missed.

According to the witness, he was then in Krachi Nkwanta in the Oti Region.

The witness said Ishmael gave him a second call saying the Easter vacation was long so he should try and visit the family.

Mr Abdallah said when he visited the family in Kasoa, he met Ishmael who informed him that he had kept some eggs for him.

The witness said he had informed his wife to fry the eggs and prepare tea for the entire family.

“Not quite long, my wife rushed to the house amidst shouting that Ishmael had been killed. I came out and asked who had killed my son.”

The witness said when he stepped out, he saw the first accused person’s (minor) father holding the hands of the two teenagers.

“When I asked what happened to my son, the two teenagers looked at each other in the face. The first accused person (minor) said it was the second accused person (young offender) who killed him.”

The matter has been adjourned to March 14, 2023.

The two teens are being held on the charge of conspiracy and murder.

They are alleged to have murdered the victim on April 3, 2021, for ritual purposes.

This was after they had allegedly lured the victim into an uncompleted building and killed him with a club and cement block at Kasoa.