Kasoa teen killers case: Jurors above 55 years or with health conditions should stay off — Court

A High Court in Accra hearing the murder case of the Kasoa Teenagers has ordered the Registrar of the Court not to select jurors above the age of 55 and persons with health conditions.

The Court gave the order when the matter was called on Tuesday and it came out with the criteria for the selection of jurors.

The Court under the law is mandated to complete trial within six months.

“The Registrar of this court should ensure that that ‘professional jurors’ ( those who have appeared in several jury trials are not included in the empanelling of jury for the trial) .

“I am not saying this out of vacuum. We need people who are neutral.

The essence of what I mean is that, we must have a different, fresh set of people to be selected as jurors for the trials of indictment would be done expeditiously and to have a desired results, ” Mrs Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, the Trial Judge said.

The Court contended that “save the outcome of Police investigations into plea of Alibi by the 18 year old accused person,” the matter was “riped” for Case Management Conference.

“For this reason, let the Registrar of the Court assemble men and women who could be selected as jurors.

The Court further ordered counsel for the State to ensure that their new set of disclosures were served on accused counsel, Mr Samuel Atuah.

Earlier, Nana Adomah Osei, Senior Attorney for the State, indicated that the Police has commenced investigations into the Plea of Alibi.

According to the Attorney, the case investigator was not served with the plea of Alibi but she managed to inform him and gave photocopies of the Alibi and he has started investigations.

She said the State also filed its new set of disclosures on March 11.

At the last sitting, the Court ordered the Police to investigate the plea of Alibi by the 18 year old accused person.

According to the accused he was no where near the crime scene.

The teenager is standing trial with another minor for causing the death of Ishmael Mensah Abdallah at Kasoa in the Central Region.

The two accused persons were committed by a Kaneshie District Court to stand trial at the High Court over the death of the 10-year-old boy who they allegedly lured into an uncompleted building and killed.

The two allegedly hit Ishmael’s head with a “cement block” several times and dropped his body in a shallow hole.

The two are facing charges of conspiracy and murder.

The matter has been adjourned to April 5.