Judge worried over lack of legal representation for Asiedu

The judge hearing the murder case of the late Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North, Mr J.B. Danquah-Adu, has expressed worry about the unwillingness of counsels from the Legal Aid Department to represent the accused person, Daniel Asiedu.

A High Court Judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, said yesterday that despite writing to the Legal Aid Department asking for counsel for the accused, the court had not received any response; hence, a lawyer had not been assigned to represent the accused person, a situation which is stalling the progress of the case.

Previous lawyer

In November last year, the Lawyer for the accused person, Mr Augustine Obour, who had been defending him for close to five years on pro-bono basis, decided to withdraw his services after a video which went viral showed Asiedu confessing to killing Mr Danquah-Adu.

According to Mr Obour, he found it very difficult defending the accused person when he (Asiedu) had confessed to the whole world, including the jurors who will decide his fate, about his murderous deed.

Legal Aid

Subsequently, the court, in December 2020, wrote to the Legal Aid Department requesting a defence lawyer to be appointed for the accused person together with his accomplice, but nothing has been heard as yet.

Justice Marfo, who raised the issue with a lawyer from the Legal Aid Department who had come to represent an accused person in a separate murder case, said, “I don’t know why nobody wants to touch this case. It is nothing extraordinary just come and do it to the best of your ability.”

She, therefore, encouraged the Legal Aid lawyer to consider representing Asiedu in the case.

The case has been adjourned to Thursday, February 11.

Not guilty

Asiedu and one Vincent Bosso have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery.

Meanwhile, Asiedu has also been charged separately with murder.

The two have pleaded not guilty to the offences.

Murder

Mr Danquah-Adu was murdered at his residence at Shiashie in Accra on February 9, 2016.

It is the case of the prosecution that Asiedu and Bosso planned to go on a robbery spree but Bosso changed his mind and went home.

The prosecution said Asiedu went to Shiashie and picked the MP’s house to rob.

According to the prosecution, in the course of searching for items to steal, Asiedu made some noise which woke up the MP.

The prosecution said a struggle ensued between the two, leading to Asiedu stabbing the MP in the neck and chest and killing him in the process.