Five suspects in the lynching of Akua Denteh at Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region have been discharged by the Bole District Magistrate Court.
They were discharged on Friday, September 18, 2020.
The accused persons are Haruna Aness, 34, Issifa Tanko, 35, Shaibu Muntala, 29, Sulemana Ali, 35, Issifa Zakyibo, Latifa Bumaye and Hajia Serena.
The court presided over by His Lordship Andrew Prince Cudjoe discharged these accused persons out of the seven in police grip.
However, Latifa Bumaya and Sherina Mohammed have been remanded into police custody pending their reappearance at the Tamale High Court on October 13, 2020.
The judge said, “I have been served with the will of indictment and summary of evidence this morning from the office of the Attorney General. I have therefore struck out a court case against the suspects”.
The Chief State Attorney at the Office of the Attorney General in charge of Northern, Savannah and North East Regions, Mr. Salia Abdul- Kudus in a Citi News interview after proceedings in court said: “the 5 accused persons have been discharged on the basis of the court’s legal opinion. However, police have rearrested the 5”.
The two remaining suspects have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, but they could not put up a strong defence to their plea, saying it was not their intention to beat and kill madam Akua Denteh.
They are to reappear at the Tamale High Court on 13th October 2020.
Background
Akua Denteh, about a month ago, was tortured and killed by some residents of Kafaba in the East Gonja District of the Savannah Region after she was accused of being a witch by a supposed priestess brought into the community to allegedly cleanse it.
The matter generated a nationwide uproar, with many calling on the police to ensure that all those culpable are made to face the law.
A number of people, including those seen in the viral video torturing Akua Denteh were subsequently arrested by the police.
