The prosecution is set to call its first witness on June 3 in the ongoing murder case involving Richard Appiah, who is accused of killing two boys in Abesim, Bono Region.
Appiah, a draughtsman by profession, allegedly stored parts of the victims’ bodies in a refrigerator following the killings.
On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, the Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Ruby Aryeetey, concluded a Case Management Conference in preparation for the trial.
Appiah has pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and is being tried before a seven-member jury. The prosecution has announced plans to call eight witnesses to support its case.
During jury selection, Appiah dismissed three proposed jurors, citing a desire for gender balance.
Senior State Attorney Nana Ama Adinkra is leading the prosecution. In her opening remarks, she stated that the prosecution would rely on the filed bill of indictment and planned to submit evidence including autopsy reports, photographs of the refrigerator where the body parts were found, images of the victims, burned clothing, and written witness statements.
The prosecution intends to prove that Appiah is guilty of the murders.
In response, the defence argued that the presence of the bodies in Appiah’s home does not directly implicate him in the killings. The defence also claimed that Appiah suffers from schizophrenia, a mental illness that impaired his ability to understand the consequences of his actions at the time.
The jury was instructed to base its judgment strictly on the evidence presented in court and to ignore outside influences.
Appiah stands accused of the 2021 murders of Louis Agyeman and Stephen Sarpong, which he denies.
Source: otecfmghana.com
