Warrant for Mobilla's alleged murderer

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 (Front Page)

PRIVATE Seth Goka, one of the soldiers alleged to be involved in the murder of the former Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Alhaji Issa Mobilla, has been sighted in Cameroon.
Consequently, the Accra Fast Track High Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Goka, who has been on the run for the past one year.
Goka, who is being tried in absentia, was alleged to have conspired with Corporal Yaw Appiah and Private Eric Modzaka to commit the offence on December 9, 2004.
They have each been charged with two counts of conspiracy and murder. Appiah and Modzaka have pleaded not guilty to the charges and are currently on remand.
At its sitting yesterday, a Chief State Attorney, Ms Penelope Marmattah, informed the court, presided over by Mr Justice Senyo Dzamefe, that the Cameroonian authorities were currently assisting the Ghanaian authorities to bring Goka down.
She, therefore, prayed the court to issue the bench warrant to enable the authorities to bring him down to face trial.
Counsel for Appiah and Modzaka, Mr Thaddeus Sory, wondered whether the application for the issuance of the bench warrant was of any relevance, especially when parties in the matter had been made to understand that Goka would be tried in absentia.
The hearing of the case could not continue because the foreman of the seven-member jury was indisposed and had been given four weeks’ excuse from duty from June 15 to July 15, 2010.
The matter was adjourned to July 16, 2010 for continuation.
The facts of the case are that Alhaji Mobilla was arrested by the police on December 9, 2004 for allegedly supplying the youth in Tamale with guns to foment trouble.
While he was in custody, the police received information that his followers and sympathisers were mobilising to free him.
The deceased was consequently transferred from police cells to the Kamina Military Barracks and handed over to the three accused persons.
According to the prosecution, Alhaji Mobilla died three hours after he had been handed over to the accused persons, who were on duty that day.