Kofi Jumah Invades Court With 7 Lawyers

THE PREMISES of the KMA Circuit Court was filled to capacity yesterday, after bigwigs and supporters of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) invaded the place, to sympathize with the former Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Hon. Maxwell Kofi Jumah, who is standing trial for alleged assault. Party top guns, including sitting Members of Parliament were there in their numbers to offer support to the former MP and his Special Assistant, who have been accused of allegedly inflicting bodily harm on a Youngman, suspected to have stolen a mobile phone belonging to the former MP. Amongst party bigwigs who were present at the court, included a leading member, Mr. George Ayisi Boateng, MP for Atwima Mponua, Hon. Isaac Asiamah, Atwima Nwabiagya MP, Hon. Benito Owusu Bio, Ashanti Regional chairman of the party, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, aka Chairman Wontumi and former chairman, Mr. Robert Yaw Amankwaah. Interestingly, about eight legal practitioners, working �pro bono� (without legal charges) also availed themselves to defend the outspoken former legislator during the first hearing yesterday. The counsel for the accused persons challenged the charges preferred against their clients on the basis that it has no merit as the fact of the case did not support it. The Presiding Judge, His Honour William Boampong, after listening to the Prosecutor and the defence team, adjourned the case to October 21, after granting the two accused persons to GH�70,000 cedis bail each with surety. PROSECUTION Chief Supt. Emmanuel Akonnor told the court that the two accused persons, Kofi Jumah and Samuel Adu Frimpong, on 26th of September, this year, supervised and also participated in the beating and torture of the complainant, Jamal Agga, after picking him up at Atonsu and locking him in a room at the residence of the former MP. According to him, the accused persons, together with other accomplices, allegedly accused the complainant of stealing a mobile. According to Chief Supt. Akonnor, despite persistent plea by the complainant that he was innocent of the charges being levelled against him, the accused persons did not mind and continuously subjected him to serious physical assaults, inflicting body harm on him. However, the counsel for the accused persons, led by Lawyer Kwame Adom Appiah, a Kumasi-based Legal Practitioner, denied the charges, insisting that it was rather their client and first accused, Hon. Kofi Jumah, who went to the rescue of the complainant, after almost being lynched by an angry mob. Lawyer Adom Appiah argued that the timely arrival of the first accused avoided what could have been a major disaster, as the charged mob was ready to crucify him on the basis that he had stolen a mobile phone. He told the court that on the eve of September 25th, after funeral rites for the late mother of the first accused had been observed; Jamal was spotted in the first accused person�s house uninvited and treated himself to food and drinks provided by the former MP. According to him, the complainant, after satisfying himself, asked the former MP to give him some money but the former legislator told him that he did not have money on him and instructed his sisters to provide the complainant with dinner. He said the following day, the complainant stormed the house, once again uninvited, but left few minutes after with an unidentified person, adding it was after the complainant had left that the said mobile phone went missing. Suspecting that the complainant had bolted with the phone, some men around the area traced him at a distance away from the residence of the former MP, after which he was alleged to have given one of his mobile phones to the guy who accompanied him. Counsel for the accused person said upon his arrest, the mob subjected the complainant to beatings until the first accused arrived at the scene and picked him up to save him from any further harm. He said his client purposely sent him to his house to avoid being chased by the angry mob, denying the assertion by the prosecution that the accused persons actually took part in the beatings of the complainant. The Counsel, therefore, pleaded with the court to grant his client bail, as he was ever ready to comply with any directive by the presiding judge. He argued that the accused persons had been complying positively with the police after being granted an enquiry bail and said he would vouch for the availability of his clients, anytime the court needs them. The Counsel said his clients were men of substance and were accompanied to court by equally responsible people who are ready to stand surety for them. This was, however, objected by the Prosecution which insisted that the court should remand them. His Honour, William Boampong, however, ruled that the accused persons be granted bail and to re-appear on Tuesday October 21, 2014.