Takoradi kidnapping case: Judge rebukes police for slow pace of investigations

The judge presiding over the Takoradi kidnapping case, His Worship Michael Ampadu has rebuked the police for their continuous incarceration of accused persons.

According to the Takoradi Market Circle Magistrate Court judge, due to slow investigations, the case has not been able to progress as expected.

His criticism follows police Prosecutor, Chief Inspector B. P. Ahinsan’s, appeal today for another adjournment to allow further investigations to enable the Attorney General to direct the commencement of committal process in the charge of murder against the two Nigerians, Sam Udoetuk Wills and John Orji.

Chief Inspector Ahinsan in his plea for adjournment told the court on Wednesday that the request is on the instruction of the Attorney General.

“The instructions from the AG’s office is that we ask for an adjournment to do further investigation to enable the AG to prepare a bail of indictment to be served to the lawyers of accused persons and the court to enable commencement of committal process in this case.“

But while granting the plea for adjournment, the judge expressed worry at the continued incarceration of the accused persons.

“Their continuous incarceration is not helpful and that is why I have advised you to speed up your investigations so that this case would progress,“ the judge said.

The two Nigerians, Sam Udoetuk Wills and John Orji had their initial charge of kidnapping in the Takoradi kidnapped girls’ case dropped by the State at the Sekondi High Court on January 5, 2020.

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.

The decision by the State Attorney to discontinue their initial charge of “kidnapping and kidnapping to with” at the Sekondi High Court was a result of new information the AG received from the Police.

The case has since been adjourned to March 19, 2020.