Choicenewsonline Your Choice Is Here
The suspect (right) being taken to the Police station after the court hearing on Tuesday
The District Court in Ada presided over by Paulina Kwakyewaa has remanded the key suspect in the boat accident that occurred over the weekend.
The suspect”s plea was not taken. No charges were also read and no facts were presented in court on Tuesday, March 21.
Detective Inspector Alex Annan told the court that investigations were ongoing and in view of the nature of the case, coupled with the fact that there were deaths involved and the deceased families were still agitated as per intelligence gathered by the police, the court should remand the accused person in police custody for his safety and also to allow for further investigations.
The Magistrate after hearing the prosecution, remanded the suspect and adjourned proceedings to April 5, 2023.
Five persons were confirmed dead while several others missing after the boat, carrying mourners from Azizanya to Azizakope, capsized on the Volta Lake.
Assemblymember of the area Daniel Adzakpa told TV3 after the disaster struck that the boat was overloaded.
The boat, which was supposed to carry 25 passengers, had over 60 on-board.
According to some survivors, they alerted Gabriel Ajigodi about the overload and pleaded with him to return them to their boarding point.
Twenty-two-year-old Mary Donuki told TV3‘s Joseph Armstrong on Saturday that when they realised that the load was too much they asked to be returned to Azizanya.
The sailor is said to have ignored the pleas and said he would take them to Azizakpe safely.
The disaster, however, occurred mid-journey.
