JB Danquah murder: How police arrested ‘runaway’ suspect
A witness in the murder trial of former Abuakwa North MP JB Danquah Adu has revealed how the police lured the main suspect, leading to his arrest.
Daniel Asiedu, also known as Sexy Don Don, was nowhere to be found when police arrived at his Agbogloshie residence on February 9, 2016.
The accused, who was then staying with his wife’s family at the time of the murder, had sensed the police were coming for him and fled.
But he was unable to hide for long as he fell into a trap set for his arrest.
The neighbour, Kenneth Kuranchie, who was part of the plan and also the third prosecution witness, made this known to the Accra High Court on Monday, July 19.
“Accused said that the previous night while he was away he got to know through his wife (Janet) that the gentleman by name Mawuko who lives in the same area came asking of his whereabouts, to which his wife said accused was not around but Mawuko rather threatened to beat up his wife.
“Mawuko’s threat made the accused angry. The accused then mentioned that he was looking for the said Mawuko to settle all this. I had a call from Allotey, who, in the end, arranged for all four of us (witness, accused, Mawuko and Allotey) to meet and settle this.
“Accused and I boarded an Okada (separately) to the direction where Allotey was. There was a private car; there was a bar and a public toilet in the vicinity. I then called Allotey, who directed us to a path between the bar and the public toilet. When we met Allotey, he offered us seats, and I sat beside the accused.
“Thereafter, one of the people who were there brought a chair and sat directly in front of the accused and engaged him in a conversation. I didn’t hear what they were talking about, but at some point, the gentleman mentioned Daniel’s name and said he was under arrest,” the witness narrated.
Mr Kuranchie said the accused was led to the private car they had earlier noticed when they got to the place and whisked him away to the police station.
At the police station, the accused was shown the two phones (iPhone 4 and iPhone 5) believed to be properties of the late JB Danquah.
The court has since accepted the said phones as evidence.
The witness also mentioned that the police took both his oral and written statements of how he came into contact with the accused person and later the late JB’s phones.
The case continues on July 21, 2021.
Counsel for the accused, Yaw Dankwa, is expected to cross-examine the witness.
Facts
The provisional facts of the prosecution were that the former MP lived with his family at Shiashie, near East Legon, a suburb of Accra.
The accused persons’, Daniel Asiedu and Vincent Bosso, lived at Agbogbloshie, also in Accra.
According to the prosecution, between February 8 and 9, 2016, the late legislator was chauffeured home in his private car.
The driver reportedly handed over the ignition keys of the car to Mr Danquah-Adu and left for home, after which the MP retired to bed in a room located on the first floor of his house.
On February 9, 2016, at about 1 am, Daniel and Vincent, armed with a catapult, cutter and sharp knife, went to the legislator’s house.
Vincent had assisted Daniel to enter the house by scaling the wall on the blind side of a security man who was fast asleep.
Asiedu picked a ladder on entering the house, climbed onto a porch on the top floor, and entered the MP’s bedroom through a window while Mr Danquah-Adu was sleeping.
While Daniel was searching the room, the MP woke up and held him. A struggle ensued during which Daniel stabbed the MP in the right chest above the breast.
The MP consequently held the knife, and Daniel pulled it through his hand, leaving a deep cut in his palm.
The legislator bled profusely and fell by his bed, after which Daniel stabbed him several times in his right chest and neck.
On realising that the MP was dying, Daniel left the room and took with him three iPhones and absconded with his accomplice.
Daniel and Vincent have since been charged with murder and abetment of crime in the murder of the late MP.
They both pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit robbery. Daniel, on the other hand, has pleaded not guilty to murder and robbery.
Four years after the gruesome murder of the former MP, justice is yet to be served in the case.