A prosecution witness in the Alhaji Issah Mobilla murder trial yesterday told the Fast Track High Court that he overheard the first accused person in the case, Corporal Yaw Appiah, telling the late Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People�s Party
that he would �shit blood�.
Sergeant George Mensah Kpligi, the witness, said the accused issued the threat when the late Mobilla was sent to the Kamina Barracks at Tamale, where the accused was on duty.
Witness said he was at the Police Headquarters in Tamale on December 9, 2004, when he heard a gunshot at Wurishe, a Tamale suburb, where it was rumoured that Alhaji Mobilla was distributing fire arms to the youth to disturb the peace there.
Following that allegation, he said, he was sent by one of his superiors to verify those allegations and, therefore, went looking for the late chairman at his residence and offices of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) but he could not find him.
He said after that futile search, he reported back to his superior only to hear that Alhaji Mobilla had been arrested and sent to the police station where he was instructed to write his statement.
He said the statement, which was tendered in evidence, did not confirm the allegations levelled against the late CPP regional chairman.
Sergeant Kpligi, who was led in evidence by the prosecutor, Ms Penelope Mamattah, a Principal State Attorney, said Alhaji Mobilla looked healthy and strong and co-operated with the police and that he (Kpligi) was instructed to detain him at the charge office and hand him over to one Sergeant Abene.
He said Alhaji Mobilla was made to undress at the charge office and about 3 p.m. that day he received instructions from his superior to send him (Mobilla) to the Kamina Barracks, where he met the three accused persons at the entrance to the barracks.
According to him, he was instructed to send him to the guardroom and he (Mobilla) was asked to undress and squat and it was at that moment that he heard Corporal Yaw Appiah say to him, �Today you will shit blood.�
The prosecutor, in the course of the cross-examination as her attempt to file an additional evidence, was objected to by counsel for the accused persons, Mr Thaddeus Sory, on grounds of wrong procedure, based on which the court, presided over by Mr Mustapha Habib Logoh, adjourned sitting to November 16, 2011 for a proper evidence to be compiled.
Two of the three soldiers accused of murdering Alhaji Mobilla were present.
They were Corporal Yaw Appiah and Private Eric Modzaka. Their alleged accomplice, Private Seth Goka, is currently on the run and is being tried in absentia.
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 claimed that they 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 in military custody three hours after he had been handed over to the accused persons who were on duty that day.
The chief pathologist�s report revealed that the deceased was sent to the hospital dead and that he died from multiple wounds.
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