The Cost of Justice: JB Danquah Murder Jury Abandons Duty over Unpaid Allowances

The jury in the murder case of the late Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, J.B Danquah, has served notice of their absence from jury duties due to the non-payment of their allowances.

The jurors claim they have not been paid their allowances since March 2022, according to a letter addressed to the Judge presiding over the case.

The jurors state that the non-payment of their allowances has affected their ability to carry out their duties as they cannot continue to bear the cost of footing their transportation to attend the court hearings.

This presents a challenge to the trial, which has been ongoing since 2021 when the prosecution called its first witness.

The Judge has indicated that the court is unable to give any particular date by which the Jury will be brought to the proceedings. This development could lead to further delays in the case, which has already taken a long time to resolve.

In the meantime, the High Court in Accra has admitted to evidence caution statements by accused persons in the murder case of the late MP for Abuakwa North, JB Danquah, during interrogation.

This followed a mini-trial as a result of an objection raised by lawyers for the accused persons, Daniel Asiedu and Vincent Dosso.

The lawyers indicated that the caution statements which the prosecution’s eight witnesses intended to tender during his testimony were not taken from the accused persons voluntarily.

In line with the dictates of section 126(6) of the Evidence Act, a mini-trial was held in the absence of the Jury to determine whether or not the caution statements should be excluded from the evidence of the prosecution.

The prosecution called witnesses, including the investigator who was cross-examined. After consideration of the evidence made available during the mini-trial, the court ruled that the caution statements were made voluntarily and hence overruled the objection of the counsel of the accused person.

Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, in her ruling, stated that the accused persons were not coerced by the Police, nor were they promised any favours before they voluntarily gave the caution charge statement.

This ruling has cleared the way for the prosecution to present the evidence during the trial.

The development with the jury presents a challenge to the trial, which has already taken a long time to resolve.

The non-payment of allowances could lead to further delays in the case, which has already caused anxiety among the family and friends of the late MP for Abuakwa North, J.B Danquah.

The court will need to address the issue promptly to ensure that justice is served for all parties involved.