Accra-Ghana, Aug. 22, GNA – Safina Mohammed Adizatu, a student, has been committed by an Adentan District Court to stand trial for murder at the High Court in Accra on September 18, 2023.
Safina, a first-year student at University of Ghana, is being held over the murder of Frank Kofi Osei, a Ghanaian resident in Canada.
Frank was gruesomely murdered at Ashaley Botwe School Junction in July 2022 when he visited Safina, his girlfriend.
Safina aka Safina Diamond, during the committal proceedings, told the District Court that: “I am innocent. At the time of the incident, I was not in the house, but near the area, making calls.”
Safina told the District Court, presided over by Lucy Adade, that a bag tendered by the prosecution as part of the exhibits, belonged to her and she filled same with drinks.
According to her, the bag was not found in Michael Arku’s room in Kumasi.
The state, led by Nana Ama Adinkra, a State Attorney, told the court that it would be calling nine witnesses, including Michael Fiifi Ampofo Arku, who was formerly held as an accomplice, during the trial before the High Court.
Arku has since been discharged by the District Court, following the Attorney General’s recommendation.
According to the State Attorney, 31 exhibits will be tendered during the trial.
Items to be tendered include autopsy report, five huge dog chains, cello tape, four padlocks with 10 keys, a cutter, a pair of gloves, three knives and accused person’s various investigation caution statements.
Earlier on, lawyers for Safina, raised a preliminary objection, quizzing the prosecution why it did not place all the exhibits at the Registry of the Court before tendering them.
The prosecution in response described defence counsel’s assertion as “unwarranted” and “blown out of proportion.”
The case of prosecution is that on Sunday July 24, 2022, Osei, who was on vacation in Ghana, visited Safina, his finance, who lived at Ashaley Botwe School Junction and decided to pass the night with her.
It said at night, Safina, Arku and other accomplices yet to be arrested, allegedly stabbed Osei with a knife and strangled him.
Prosecution said Osei’s blood was allegedly cleaned from the floor by Safina and her accomplices while the body was in the room for 24 hours.
It said Osei’s body was dragged from the first floor of the story building through the stir case and dumped it at the gate of the house, where the deceased had parked his Toyota Tundra.
Safina allegedly called the Police, claiming that her boyfriend, who visited her, had died in her room.
When the Police proceeded to the scene, they found the body of Osei lying at the gate of Safina’s house.
Safina was arrested.
