Lawyer for the 19-year old being held for the murder of JB Danquah Adu who was the member of Parliament for Abuakwa North says his client may be mentally unstable.
Daniel Asiedu who has been without a lawyer since his arrest, made his second appearance in Court Tuesday with a former State Attorney, Augustine Obour as his lawyer.
Mr Obour told the Court that his initial interactions with Asiedu Tuesday suggests his client is not mentally sound, hence urged the magistrate to order a psychiatric evaluation to be conducted on the suspect.
But the court turned down the request grounding it on the fact that it is early days yet in the case for such an order to be given, especially so when the suspect has not been officially charged before the court.
Mr. Obour also claimed the condition under which his client was being kept in the Bureau of National Investigations custody was in breach of the suspect’s human rights, noting he is being kept in solitary confinement, Onua FM’s Lydia Ezit reports.
She reported that counsel brought to the court’s attention that his client “is not being treated well at the cell, he’s being kept in solitary confinement and that he’s not allowed to go out, walk around or mingle with others”.
Mr Obour thus prayed the court to order the BNI to stop keeping his client in solitary confinement.
But the prosecution led by Supt Francis Baah expressed surprised at the claims by the defence counsel, and wondered why Mr Obour did not bring such a complaint to his notice before the court sitting.
Notwithstanding, Supt Baah said he would investigate the claim to establish its authenticity for the necessary action to be taken.
When asked by the Magistrate, Mr Stephen Owusu, as to why he is being given such harsh treatment at the cells, the suspect said authorities have failed to give him any explanation
Meanwhile, the Magistrate has ordered the BNI to remove the suspect from solitary confinement, adding that the suspect has not been even charged before the court and adjourned the case to March 14.
Source: 3news.com|Ghana By Stephen Kwabena Effah