JB Danquah’s post-mortem report stolen – Pathologist tells court

Pathologist, Dr Lawrence Edusei, has told the High Court in Accra that, the Post-Mortem examination he performed on the body of the late Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa North Joseph Boakye Danquah Adu in 2016 was stolen after thieves broke into his home.

Dr Edusei, who is the 5th Prosecution Witness has told the told Court that he examined the body of the late MP in 2016 but prepared his report on February 8, 2018, two years later.

He added that “the cause of death, is exsanguination, due to multiple stab injuries of neck and chest.”

In court on Monday, January 31 2022, when defence lawyer Yaw Dankwah questioned him under cross-examination as to why he conducted the examination in 2016 but his report in evidence points to February 2018, the Pathologist pointed to a burglary in his home.

“After the post mortem examination, I typed my own report on my PC. In 2016, while I was at a conference in Germany, thieves broke into my house and packed everything. Because we do have the same information in the Police Hospital, I accessed it in 2018,” the Pathologist explained to the court.

In his evidence in chief to the court, Dr Edusei said, the late MP died from “exsanguination.”

Dr Edusei, who was explaining the term to the court while being led by Mrs Sefakor Batse, a Principal State Attorney to give his Evidence said, there was “virtually no blood in the body” of the late MP, who died of “an unnatural cause.”

The court presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Lydia Osei Marfo has adjourned the case to February 1, 2022, for further cross-examination.

The Pathologist (PW5) followed, Samuel Berko Sakodie, driver of the late MP (PW1), Samuel Apraku Mensah, his night security guard, (PW2), Kennedy Koranchie, a mobile phone repairer (PW3) and George Amofa, (PW4) as the first five of the 10 witnesses the state intended to call to prove its case.

Daniel Asiedu, alias Sexy Don Don is standing trial for murder and robbery. While together with Vincent Bossu, alias Agogo are facing a separate charge for conspiracy to rob.

Brief facts

The brief facts of the prosecution were that the former MP lived with his family at Shiashie, near East Legon, a suburb of Accra.

The accused persons’, Daniel Asiedu and Vincent Bosso, lived at Agbogbloshie, also in Accra.

According to the prosecution, between February 8 and 9, 2016, the late legislator was chauffeured home in his private car.

The driver reportedly handed over the ignition keys of the car to Mr Danquah-Adu and left for home, after which the MP retired to bed in a room located on the first floor of his house.

On February 9, 2016, at about 1 am, Asiedu and Bosso, armed with a catapult, cutter and sharp knife, went to the legislator’s house.

Bosso had assisted Asiedu to enter the house by scaling the wall on the blind side of a security man who was fast asleep.

Asiedu picked a ladder on entering the house, climbed onto a porch on the top floor, and entered the MP’s bedroom through a window while Mr Danquah-Adu was sleeping.

While Asiedu was searching the room, the MP woke up and held him. A struggle ensued during which Asiedu stabbed the MP in the right chest above the breast.

The prosecution said, the MP consequently held the knife, and Asiedu pulled it through his hand, leaving a deep cut in his palm.

The MP according to the prosecution bled profusely and fell by his bed, after which Asiedu stabbed him several times in his right chest and neck.

Upon realising that the MP was dying, Asiedu left the room and took with him three iPhones and absconded with his accomplice.

Charges

Asiedu and Bosso have since been charged with murder and abetment of crime in the murder of the late MP. They both pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit robbery. Asiedu, on the other hand, has pleaded not guilty to murder and robbery.