'Ya-Na died from haemorrhage, shock'

October 14, 2010 (Page 3 Lead)

A PATHOLOGIST at the 37 Military Hospital yesterday told the Accra Fast Track High Court that the late Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II, died as a result of haemorrhage shock and decapitation.
Brigadier-General J. M. Wadhwani said the Ya-Na’s body, which was badly mutilated, suffered from third degree burns while his skin and chest were charred.
The witness, who showed pictures of the charred body to the court hearing the case of 15 persons accused of playing various roles that resulted in the death of the Ya-Na and a number of elders, said the base of the Ya-Na’s neck was burnt while his limbs were cut off.
Those standing trial are Iddrisu Iddi, alias Mbadugu; Alhaji Baba Abdulai, alias Zohe; Kwame Alhassan, alias Achiri; Mohammed Abdulai, alias Samasama; Sayibu Mohammed; Alhassan Braima and Zakaria Yakubu, alias Zakaria Forest, who is currently on the run.
The rest are Mohammed Habib Tijani, the former District Chief Executive of Yendi; Baba Ibrahim, alias Baba Zey; Alhassan Mohammed, alias Mohammed Cheampon; Mohammed Mustapha; Shani Imoro; Yakubu Yusif, alias Leftee; Hammed Abukari Yussif and Abdul Razak Yussif, alias Nyaa Dagbani.
All the accused persons, except Zakaria Yakubu, have been charged with conspiracy to murder and have pleaded not guilty to the charge. Zakaria has been charged with murder.
Led by a Chief State Attorney, Mr Rexford Owiredu, to give his evidence-in-chief, the pathologist told the court that he was tasked to perform an autopsy on the body of the Ya-Na and 28 others on March 29 and 30, 2002.
According to the witness, the burning of the Ya-Na’s body, which was quite extensive, appeared to have occurred after he died.
The pathologist told the court that his findings led him to conclude that the Ya-Na died as a result of the severance of his head.
He told the court that he issued a report after the autopsy on the Ya-Na and the 28 others but issued an additional report a year later after he was invited to testify on the Republic versus Yidana Sugri case.
During cross-examination from Mr Philip Addison, the lead counsel for the accused persons, the pathologist admitted he testified before the Wuaku Commission but did not submit the second autopsy report which touched on only the Ya-Na to the Commission.
He explained that he prepared that report solely for the trial of Yidani Sugri and another in connection with the murder of the Ya-Na.
Asked who identified the body of the Ya-Na, which he (the pathologist) had in the past referred to as the charred remains of a male body, the witness said the then head of the Tamale Government Hospital, Dr Bernard Seshie, identified the Ya-Na as the Overlord of Dagbon.
Asked whether he found the identification sufficient, the pathologist answered in the affirmative and explained that there was only one decapitated body at the time of the autopsy and information reaching him at the time indicated that the Ya-Na had been killed.
Counsel read excerpts from the Wuaku Commission’s report in which Dr Wadhwani appeared as the 40th witness and informed the Commission that he could not tell if the Ya-Na’s body was the charred body he performed autopsy on.
The pathologist was also quoted in the Commission’s report, which is currently in evidence as exhibit, that he could not rely on comments and hearsay from colleagues, adding that he would simply say the charred body was among the dead bodies he was tasked to perform autopsy on.
The pathologist denied a suggestion from the defence counsel that he had altered the autopsy report and that it was also unnecessary to perform a DNA test on the remains of the Ya-Na when he had positively been identified.
Mr Owiredu is expected to re-examine the witness on aspects of his testimony at the trial of Yidani Sugri today.