The process of empanelling a jury in the trial of the murder case involving 25-year-old Georgina Asor Botchwey has hit a snag as the second accused, Michael Darko, objected to the selection of two jury members.

Darko’s action, within his constitutional rights, halted the proceedings under Section 250 of Act 30 of the Criminal Proceedings.

Section 250 of Act 30 of Ghana’s Criminal Procedure Code deals with challenges to the array of jurors. It stipulates that there shall not be a challenge to the array, meaning objections to the overall composition of the jury. However, it allows an accused person, either personally or through their counsel, to challenge three of the jurors by way of peremptory challenge without needing to assign a cause or reason for the challenge.

Despite five approved jurors, Darko’s objection necessitates the addition of two more.

With legal representatives and the accused present, the presiding judge, His Lordship John-Mark Nuku Alifo of the Cape Coast High Court II, has adjourned the session to Thursday, April 18, 2024, urging all parties to be punctual to expedite justice.

The accused, 65-year-old trader Christopher Ekow Clark Quansah and 48-year-old pastor Michael Darko, maintain their innocence in the murder of the prospective nurse.

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.

By: Isaac Dadzie & Bright Yao Dzakah | Metrotvonline.com