A Koforidua Magistrate Court has for the second time remanded 26-year-old Godwin Darko, the farmer who reported himself to the police after killing his girlfriend at Trom Junction 5, a suburb of Koforidua last month.
He is to reappear in court on July 19, 2023.
Godwin Darko allegedly stabbed Felicia Abena Oparebea several times in the neck following a misunderstanding over an aborted pregnancy during their six-month relationship.
The decision by the court to adjourn the case was made after the substantive prosecutor, Sergeant George Defia, was absent from court today.
Chief Inspector Nelly Afoe, who held brief for the police prosecutor, told the court that there had been some new developments in the case and that the substantive prosecutor had been assigned another duty in Accra today. He said the main prosecutor would bring the court up to speed on the latest developments upon his return.
The presiding judge, Her Honour Nana Ama Dabbah Fynn, who considered the circumstances, adjourned the case to July 19, 2023, to allow the return of the substantive prosecutor for proceedings to continue.
Dozens of family members of both the deceased and the suspect, who had come to court from the Suhum Municipality, were disappointed with the outcome of the hearing after the case was adjourned again.
Meanwhile, after absconding from the murder scene, Godwin Darko confided in his mother, who is the Queen Mother of Suhum Nifa Ankobea. She then took him to the police station to report himself.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant George Defia told the court that the murder weapon and a bunch of keys used by the suspect to commit the crime had not yet been recovered.
He requested that the court not accept the suspect’s plea as investigations were still ongoing and the police were committed to solving recent spousal murders in the Eastern Region.
The court, presided over by Her Honour Nana Ama Dabbah Fynn, accepted the prosecution’s plea but urged the police to ensure a speedy, effective, and efficient investigation, as the court would not tolerate unnecessary delays.
Nana Dede Klottey Suhum Nifa Ankobea Hemaa and the suspect’s mother, who spoke to the media, appealed for calm to prevail so that both families could proceed with the smooth burial process of the deceased.