Prosecution in Ya-Na trial to introduce more witnesses
The prosecution in the Ya-Na trial on Monday told the Fast Track High Court hearing the case that they intend to file another application to re-open the case and introduce fresh evidence.
The prosecution said they intended to present to the court five new witnesses and a recorded tape of confessions of one of the witnesses.
Mr Anthony Rexford Wiredu, Chief State Attorney, told the court that the prosecution was filing the new motion to call for fresh evidence, the bill of indictment and the summary of evidence.
He said the application would replace the previous motion it filed to introduce new evidence.
Mr Philip Addison, lead counsel for the accused persons, said even though they were served with the writ at short notice they intended to file an affidavit in opposition to the writ.
He said instead of the prosecution being candid with the court that they were sending certain recorded materials to England for voice analysis they rather resorted to all kinds of means to buy time.
He said now that the prosecution felt their materials were in they are calling for new evidence which could have been handled long ago.
Mr Justice E.K. Ayebi, the trial judge, obliged to the prosecution’s request and adjourned the case to December 2, 2010.
So far 12 witnesses have testified in the case in which 15 persons are standing trial for their alleged involvement in the murder of Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II and 30 others in March 2002.
They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to murder and murder.
The accused persons are Mohammed Habib Tijani, former Yendi DCE, Iddrisu Iddi, 76, Alhaji Baba Iddrisu Abdulai, 54, Kwame Alhassan, 53, and Mohammadu Abdulai, 57.
The others are Saibu Mohammed, 34, Alhassan Mohammed Briamah, 40, Alhassan Ibrahim, Mohammed Mustapha and Sani Moro.
The rest are Baaba Ibrahim, Yakubu Usifu, Ahmed Abukari, Abdul Razak Usifu and Alhassan Braimah.
Zakaria Forest, the man alleged to have cut-off the head and hands of the Ya- Na, is at large.
The prosecution’s case is that in March 2002, the Ya-Na and some of his elders were killed following a clash between the two royal gates in Dagbon – the Abudus and Andanis.
After the clash, Idrissu Gyamfo and Yidana Sugri were arrested and prosecuted for the alleged murder but they were acquitted and discharged.
The government in a fresh attempt to find the murderers conducted a dawn swoop at Yendi during which 41 persons were rounded up.
After screening them at Bimbilla, 33 were granted self-recognisance bail, while the rest were brought to Accra.
A number of them were subsequently arrested and arraigned.
Source: GNA