Abesim murder: Trial of footballer to begin on August 16

The trial of Richard Appiah, the footballer accused of killing two teenagers at Abesim is expected to begin on August 16 at the High Court.

This came to the fore after the Kaneshie District Court presided over by Her magistrate Ama Adomako Kwakye committed Appiah for the murder trial.

The committal proceedings have been ongoing since his arrest in 2021.

During the committal proceedings, the accused Richard Appiah was first declared unfit to stand trial for having medical conditions but has now been declared fit to stand trial after treatment.

The state says it will present six witnesses during the trial while counsel for the accused has revealed that two witnesses will be called to testify for the accused.

Counsel for the accused, Theophilus Dzimega spoke to the media after court proceedings.

“We were given the evidence today, and he has been committed to stand trial at the High Court, Accra on August 16 at 9 am.”

Background

The accused was arrested in 2021 after he was reported to have been the last person to be spotted with some persons that went missing in Abesim.

Shocking details emerging after the arrest indicated that the suspect, 28-year-old Richard Appiah, had human parts of one of the deceased persons in his fridge.

After reports were made to the police, they found one of the deceased cut to pieces in a fridge, whilst two other deceased persons were found in other rooms in Richard Appiah’s home.

Two of the deceased were identified as 12-year-old Louis Agyemang Junior and Stephen Sarpong, aged 15.

The stepfather of one of the victims had reported that Richard Appiah had taken his son to his house, but had not returned.

He later effected a citizen’s arrest of Richard Appiah, with the help of his four brothers, according to a police report.