By William Yaw Owusu
Friday, April 20. 2007
Two accused persons who were discharged by the Fast Track High Court in Accra yesterday, had no cause to jubilate because they soon found themselves behind prison bars.
This is because they are serving life jail sentences for robbery and murder.
Daniel Kwashie Ayivor and Peter Aflagaji, and a third person, Aryee Ayittey, were discussed by the Fast Track High Court because they had been on prison remand for the past 14 years.
Justice Iris May Brown, the trial Judge, cautioned them to be of good conduct and discharge them, Ayittey walked out of the court a free person. But Ayivor and Aflagaji were taken back. They were condemned prisoners who sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment.
In another case, the court ordered the registrar of the court to serve hearing notices on counsel for two other men, also in their fifties, who claim to have been on remand for 14 years.
They are Francis Agyare and Henry Clottey Abbey who are on robbery charges.
Mrs Evelyn Keelson, Senior State Attorney Prosecuting, told the court that she had found it difficult to trace witnesses in the case.
“We cannot trace the witnesses in this case and this has made it difficult for it to go on,” she said.
When asked where his counsel was, Agyare said: “I do not know where he is. Nobody has ever visited me in prison for the past 14 years.”
Abbey on his part said “my docket is missing.”
The judge promised to assign lawyers for them to ensure a speedy trial.
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