The suspects in the Takoradi kidnapping case have been charged with murder at a Takoradi magistrate court.
This was after a state attorney, Adeliade Kobiri-Woode, dropped the previous suit against two of the suspects, John Orji and Sam Udoetuk Wills, at the Sekondi high court.
John Orji and Sam Udoetuk Wills had initially been charged with six counts of conspiracy to commit a crime, to wit, kidnapping and kidnapping after the disappearance of four girls from the Takoradi metropolis.
The victims, Priscilla Bentum, Ruth Love Quayson, Priscilla Mantebea Kuranchie and Ruth Abakah, who were feared to have been kidnapped between July and December 2018, were eventually confirmed dead in August 2019.
Initial charges
The state attorney, in explaining the reason for dropping the initial charges, said prosecution have finally received the document they were expecting from the police.
“The nature of the document makes it necessary to change the charge. On the 4th of February, 2020, the state entered into a nolle prosequi, so if the court has received, we ask the court to grant it so that preliminary committal processes will begin at a lower court,” he explained.
Immediately after the Sekondi high court granted the plea to drop the initial charge, to be replaced with a new charge, the police arrested and charged the two suspects with murder.
Only John Orji appeared before the Takoradi magistrate court yesterday.
Other suspect
The prosecutor, Chief Inspector B P Ahinsan, told the Takoradi magistrate court that suspect Sam Udoetuk couldn’t come to court since he was still serving his 18-month prison sentencing for escaping cell and destruction of public property.
Chief inspector Ahinsan then pleaded with the court to remand John Orji for further investigations to enable them to commence committal processes in two weeks.
John Orji will appear before the court on February 13.
The father of one of the victims, Alexander Kuranchie, who sat through the two proceedings, told the media that all they wanted is a speedy resolution to the case.
