Death of Goaso Hospital Administrator..11 TO OPEN DEFENCE (PAGE 34)

The Sunyani High Court has established a prima facie case against eleven accused persons whose alleged roles led to the death of Mr Anthony Yeboah-Boateng, a former Administrator of the Goaso Government Hospital, at Atronie in the Brong Ahafo Region two years ago.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Godwin Gabor, arrived at the decision following the closure of the case by the prosecution on Tuesday, May 11, 2009.
Consequently, the court has ordered the accused persons to open their defence today.
A source close to the court told the Daily Graphic in Sunyani that the prosecution had called 11 witnesses since the beginning of the trial on January 1, 2008.
It said the witnesses included the wife of the deceased and his sister, who were both in the company of the deceased at the time of the incident.
Until their indictment, the 11 were among 30 suspects who had been standing trial at the Sunyani Magistrate's Court 'B' for their alleged involvement in the murder of Mr Yeboah-Boateng on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007. Mr Yeboah-Boateng was also the Presiding Member of the Asunafo North District Assembly.
According to the source, all the accused persons were represented by defence counsel with six of them given lawyers by the Legal Aid Board because of their difficulty in engaging lawyers.
The accused, who are still in prison custody, are facing three counts of conspiracy to commit murder, contrary to Section 23 (1) and 46 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29); murder, contrary to Section 46; and causing unlawful damage, contrary to Section 172 (3) of the act.
They are Douglas Afriyie, alias Dougie, a chemical seller; Stephen Donkor, alias Kofi Ankamah, an undertaker; Kwadwo Awuah, alias Koowua or “I see”, shoe shine boy; Kwasi Nyantakyi, alias Nana Kusi, barber; Kwaku Agyeman Badu, alias Wakuu, driver; Adama Hamidu, mason; James Dankwa, mason; Kwame Yeboah Addae, alias Akolo, farmer; Emmanuel Kwaku Lartey, alias Adjetey, farmer, and Kwame Krah, alias Koo Krah, farmer.
The court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of 14 other suspects who are now at large.
On April 8, 2007, Mr Yeboah-Boateng, in the company of his wife and two other women, was conveying a corpse of his relative in his car from the Sunyani Regional Hospital to the Goaso Hospital mortuary.
When he got to Atroni the accused persons, together with others, blocked the road with rocks and cement blocks, forcing Yeboah-Boateng to stop.
The accused persons, together with the others, then rushed on Mr Yeboah-Boateng and accused him of being a ritual murderer because he was carrying a corpse in his car.
Before the deceased could offer any explanation, the accused and others pulled him out of the vehicle, clubbed him to death and attempted to set his body and car ablaze.
The accused persons and the others then vandalised his car and the corpse and bolted from the town.