The Fast Track High Court yesterday adjourned the trial of Johnson Kombian, following the absence of a member of the jury.The court explained that the juror had written to seek permission to attend an interview.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh, therefore, adjourned the trial to July 29, 2014.
Background
Kombian, alias Garkum, is standing trial for allegedly ambushing three policemen on October 17, 2010 and killing two of them.
The deceased are Constable Prince Agyare and Constable Owusu Frimpong.
A third policeman, Corporal Osei Bonsu, sustained gunshot wounds but survived.
Facts of the case
Kombian allegedly conspired with his friend, Kofi Naaman, known as Accra Boy, to rob Djato Mathias and then attempted to kill him.
He was arrested, tried and sentenced to six years’ imprisonment by the Tamale Circuit Court but he escaped while serving his jail term.
The accused was said to have sought refuge at his home town, Nakpanduri in the Bunkprugu Yunyoo District in the Northern Region.
On October 17, 2010, Kombian and his accomplices received information that a number of police personnel had been dispatched to perform duties on the Nakpanduri Scarp.
Ambush
Suspecting that the police had been assigned to pick him up, Kombian and his accomplices, who were branded as notorious robbers by the prosecution, ambushed and shot at the policemen who were on their motorbikes.
The accused person and his group continued to fire sporadically into the valley, in the hope of killing the policemen.
Ultimately, the wounded policemen received help and were conveyed to the Nalerigu Hospital, where Agyare was pronounced dead.
Frimpong also passed away later, while Bonsu was transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra, where he was treated and discharged.
Escape
Kombian escaped to Togo after the incident but he was later arrested by the Togolese authorities and handed over to their counterparts in Ghana.
He was convicted by the Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Justice Kyei-Baffour, and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for escaping lawful custody.
Source: Graphic Online