Accused feigns madness in court
Gilbert Boyefio
13/09/2008
An Accra Circuit Court was thrown into laughter yesterday when an accused person in a narcotic case, Aminu Issahaku Fuseini, feigned madness by smearing himself with banku and acting strangely while uttering some gibberish words when his case was called.
Fuseini acted the same way when he was first arraigned before the court on August 22, 2008.
Yesterday he was alleged to have attempted to smear on himself urine and human excreta to re-enforce his 'madness' but failed after his colleague prisoners who were with him in the police van alerted the investigator of his (Fuseini's) intentions.
He was further alleged to have told his colleague prisoners that "today too I am going to put up my madness act.”
According to the police prosecutor, ASP Mary Agbozo, Fuseini only “goes mad” when he is to appear in court. She told the court that the accused person behaves and acts normally when in prison custody and also whenever the wife visits him. The prosecutor therefore requested the court to ignore his mad antics and go ahead with the case.
However, the trial judge, Iddrisu Mahamadu, was of the opinion that since the law provides that every person should be given a fair trial Fuseini should be sent to a psychiatric hospital for the determination of his sanity or otherwise.
The court was informed that Fuseini had told his colleagues that he would run away if sent to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. This led the court to order that he be sent to Pantang.
The court further ordered that the Registrar of the court should write a letter to the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital about the case for them to fast-track the matter.
Surprisingly, any time the judge is speaking Fuseini would stop his mad antics and pay rapt attention but would immediately resume his “madness” whenever the judge stopped talking.
Aminu Issahaku Fuseini, scrab dealer and Teye Kwame, alias Dagaa, farmer, are being charged with possessing narcotic drug without lawful authority. They have both pleaded not guilty.
The two were arrested on May 17, 2008, by the National Police Highway Patrol team with one big polythene bag on the Odumase-Asesewa main road. When the bag was opened in their presence, it was found to contain dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
On May 27, the dried leaves were sent to the Police Forensic Crime Laboratory for analytical examination and the report, which was received on June 29, proved positive for Indian hemp, weighing 11,000g.
The case has been adjourned to October 14 for the outcome of the psychiatric report.
In a related development, Music producer, Isaac Abeiku Aidoo, popularly known as Goodies, has changed his lawyer, Jah Josiah, without providing the court with any reason. His case has therefore been adjourned to September 19 to allow him get a new lawyer. Goodies is being tried by an Accra Circuit Court for alleged narcotic offences.
13/09/2008
An Accra Circuit Court was thrown into laughter yesterday when an accused person in a narcotic case, Aminu Issahaku Fuseini, feigned madness by smearing himself with banku and acting strangely while uttering some gibberish words when his case was called.
Fuseini acted the same way when he was first arraigned before the court on August 22, 2008.
Yesterday he was alleged to have attempted to smear on himself urine and human excreta to re-enforce his 'madness' but failed after his colleague prisoners who were with him in the police van alerted the investigator of his (Fuseini's) intentions.
He was further alleged to have told his colleague prisoners that "today too I am going to put up my madness act.”
According to the police prosecutor, ASP Mary Agbozo, Fuseini only “goes mad” when he is to appear in court. She told the court that the accused person behaves and acts normally when in prison custody and also whenever the wife visits him. The prosecutor therefore requested the court to ignore his mad antics and go ahead with the case.
However, the trial judge, Iddrisu Mahamadu, was of the opinion that since the law provides that every person should be given a fair trial Fuseini should be sent to a psychiatric hospital for the determination of his sanity or otherwise.
The court was informed that Fuseini had told his colleagues that he would run away if sent to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. This led the court to order that he be sent to Pantang.
The court further ordered that the Registrar of the court should write a letter to the Pantang Psychiatric Hospital about the case for them to fast-track the matter.
Surprisingly, any time the judge is speaking Fuseini would stop his mad antics and pay rapt attention but would immediately resume his “madness” whenever the judge stopped talking.
Aminu Issahaku Fuseini, scrab dealer and Teye Kwame, alias Dagaa, farmer, are being charged with possessing narcotic drug without lawful authority. They have both pleaded not guilty.
The two were arrested on May 17, 2008, by the National Police Highway Patrol team with one big polythene bag on the Odumase-Asesewa main road. When the bag was opened in their presence, it was found to contain dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
On May 27, the dried leaves were sent to the Police Forensic Crime Laboratory for analytical examination and the report, which was received on June 29, proved positive for Indian hemp, weighing 11,000g.
The case has been adjourned to October 14 for the outcome of the psychiatric report.
In a related development, Music producer, Isaac Abeiku Aidoo, popularly known as Goodies, has changed his lawyer, Jah Josiah, without providing the court with any reason. His case has therefore been adjourned to September 19 to allow him get a new lawyer. Goodies is being tried by an Accra Circuit Court for alleged narcotic offences.
Comments
Post a Comment