Court adjourns Tetegu murder case to April after accused misses hearing
By DL News
Published
2 min read
When the case was called, prosecutors told the court that although the accused was still in custody, she had not been brought before the judge.
Proceedings in the murder case involving police officer Gifty Oppong were cut short at the Adabraka District Court after the accused failed to appear, forcing the court to adjourn the matter to 16 April 2026.
Oppong is facing a murder charge over the fatal shooting of a taxi driver, Edward Awuku Owusu, also known as Papa Kwesi, in Tetegu earlier this year. She has not yet taken a plea and remains in lawful custody.
When the case was called, prosecutors told the court that although the accused was still in custody, she had not been brought before the judge. On that basis, the prosecution asked for a fresh date.
Her lawyer, Raymond Felli, objected to the turn of events and told the court he was unhappy that no meaningful step could be taken despite his appearance. He urged the court to consider awarding costs, arguing that counsel should not be made to attend court only for the matter to stall without any business being done.
The adjournment also drew frustration from relatives of the deceased, some of whom had travelled considerable distances to attend the sitting. They voiced disappointment both at the absence of the accused and at what they described as the slow pace of the case.
The charge stems from a shooting said to have followed a confrontation on 19 January 2026 in the Tetegu area near Weija, in Accra.
According to preliminary police findings, the victim was taken to the Police Hospital after the shooting but was later pronounced dead on arrival.
Investigators also say the accused suffered injuries to her head and both legs after she was struck by a vehicle while allegedly trying to leave the scene. She was subsequently taken for medical treatment.
Police said they recovered several items from the scene, including a live 9mm round, a magazine, and an empty 9mm cartridge.
With no substantive hearing taking place, the case now returns to court in mid-April, when attention is expected to focus again on the next procedural step in the prosecution.
