State Attorney to appear in court over fate of Katinan
Accra, Oct. 16, GNA – An Accra District Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday asked an Attorney at the Attorney General's Department to appear before it and explain the state of affairs in the case of Justin Katinan, an ally of former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo, currently in custody.
According to the court, presided over by Mr Ali Baba Bature, the State had declared its intention to withdraw the charge of murder against Mr Katinan and put him before the Osu District Magistrate where he is facing robbery charges.
When the case was called today, Mrs Merley Wood, a Chief State Attorney, who had earlier prosecuted the case, was not in court.
However Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abraham Annor, also a prosecutor, prayed the court to remand accused person to enable the International Police (INTERPOL) Accra and Abidjan to exchange some correspondence.
According to DSP Annor, INTERPOL Accra and Abidjan started sorting things out from Monday, October 15 to enable the team to come to court at the next adjournment to inform it about the latest development.
He acknowledged that the liberty of the accused was at stake but declared that "where justice was delayed, justice was also denied," adding that, "justice hurried was justice buried".
Mr Patrick Sorgbordzor, counsel for Katinan said if the prosecution was now saying that they were exchanging documents, then on what basis was his client arrested.
Mr Sorgbodzor said a look at the charge sheet shows that the facts were “scanty,” and the prosecution had not been able to tell the court how Katinan committed the offence they alleged he committed.
According to him, he got in touch with the co-accused Dalo Desire’s counsel, who had written to him saying that Dalo had been charged with certain offences but he has not been arraigned.
Mr Sorgbordzor noted that Dalo has not been charged with murder in Ivory Coast and wondered why Katinan should be put before court on murder charges.
Counsel further lamented over his client being put before two similar courts saying that amounted to absurdity and urged the Court not to be drawn into that.
He quizzed the whereabouts of the Chief State Attorney who had indicated that she was going to withdraw the murder charge at one of the District Magistrate Court in Accra and put him before the Osu District Court.
Counsel therefore prayed the court to admit Katinan to bail as his passport had been seized, adding that, Katinan has an Asylum Seeker Certificates.
Meanwhile at the Osu Magistrates’ court, presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh, later in the day, adjourned the matter to Wednesday October 17 whiles waiting for what transpired at an Accra District Magistrates’ Court.
Katinan was earlier on put before the Osu District court following charges of robbery preferred against him but was however granted GHc 50,000.00 bail.
However on October 1st, this year, he was brought before an Accra Magistrates’ court charged with conspiracy to murder and two counts of murder.
Katinan was said to have conspired with one Dalo Desire in Cote d’Ivoire to murder two men at Port Bouet in the Ivorian city of Abidjan.
According to the report, the first murder of a 33 year-old welder, Kamagate Seyobou, took place on March 19, 2011 while the second one, Diabate Drissa, 37, a trader, also took place on March 29, 2011, both at Port Bouet.
Katinan’s plea was not taken and he was remanded.
The state said on March 19, 2011, Katinan conspired with Desire to murder Seydou in Port Boute in Abidjan.
According to the state, Katinan and Desire on March 29, 2011 also attacked and murdered Drissa. A complainant, known as Kamgate Bakary, reported the incident to the Ivorian authorities.
On September 29, this year, Ivorian authorities issued a warrant in respect of Katinan and informed the Ghanaian authorities that he was in Ghana and demanded his arrest.
GNA
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