Empaneling of a jury in the murder case of 25-year-old prospective nurse, Georgina Asor Botchwey has emerged unsuccessful upon first attempt.

This was after second accused, Michael Darko opposed to the selection of two jury members appointed for the case.

The act displayed by the second accused, by law, falls within his constitutional right, as every accused person in a criminal case is permitted.

According to Section 250 of Act 30 of the Criminal Proceedings, there shall not be a challenge to the array, but an accused, personally or by counsel, shall be allowed to challenge three of the jurors by way of peremptory challenge without assigning a cause.

Members of the jury who were seven in number, had five of them approved with two other jurors set to be added to those approved.

Present for the empanel of jury were Vincent Nyineku, the Principal State Attorney with Ama Taylor for the prosecution, Kofi Ampah holding brief of Michael Monney for the first accused and Daniel Amosah holding brief of Roland Hamilton for the second accused.

The two accused persons Christopher Ekow Clark Quansah, a 65-year-old trader and Michael Darko, a 48-year-old pastor, were equally present in court.

The court, presided over by His Lordship John-Mark Nuku Alifo of the Cape Coast High Court ll, has set Thursday, April 18, 2024, 9am prompt to have the remaining two jurors added to the five already approved to empanel the jury. 

The judge, however, implored prosecution, lawyers of the accused persons and members of the jury to report on time for the adjourned date to expedite the discharge of their civic duty.

Accused persons facing trial for the murder of 25-year-old prospective nurse, Georgina Asor Botchwey, have denied killing the deceased before the court. 

Background

Georgina Asor Botchwey, a resident of Yeji in the Bono East Region and applicant seeking admission at the Ankaful Psychiatric Nursing School in the Central Region, arrived in Cape Coast on Thursday, September 8, 2022, for an interview at the school.

Upon arrival, Georgina Asor Botchwey called Michael Darko who was her senior sister’s fiancé and informed him about her presence in the region and her mission there.

Michael Darko then offered to pick her up after her interview at the Nursing School and later arrived in a taxi as had been arranged and sent her to Pedu Junction in Cape Coast, where Christopher Ekow Clark Quansah had parked his Benz Car with registration number GT 8686-C, which she joined.

Quansah then drove them to Akwaakrom near Mankessim, seized the deceased’s iPhone and locked her in a room.

The accused persons went to Asikafo Ambantem, a suburb of Mankessim, where they allegedly dug a hole in an uncompleted storey building belonging to Quansah and went back for the lady and sent her to Asikafo Ambantem.

On September 9, 2022, around mid-day, Quansah and Darko allegedly killed Georgina by hitting her head with a club bottle after she fell down for Darko to strangle her on the neck till she died.

The two allegedly took away some pubic hair of the deceased for money ritual and left the uncompleted storey building around 0200hours the next day.

A complaint was lodged to the police by the brother of the deceased, Alfred Duodu, a soldier after frantic efforts to reach his sister proved futile. 

The police later picked up an intelligence that it was Darko who picked Georgina at Ankaful.

Armed with the information, the police searched for Darko, who was arrested on Friday, September 19, at Anomabo who admitted to the crime.

He subsequently led the police to where the deceased had been buried where the body was exhumed.

Further police intelligence later led to the arrest of Quansah from his hideout at Ekumfi Akwaakrom.

The accused persons were first put before the Cape Coast District Court Two, presided over by Madam Bernice Mensima Ackon, and were charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit murder and murder. 

Source//Sompaonline.com/Eric Annan