The family of the late Josephine Asante, a former Marketing Manager of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), has voiced their displeasure over the Attorney Generals recommendation to discharge the four accused persons standing trial for her murder.
During court proceedings on July 21, 2025, at the TDC District Magistrate Court, the Attorney Generals Department recommended and advised that the accused persons be discharged citing insufficient evidence after five years of the trial.
The AGs office argued that the individuals had been arrested and charged solely on the basis of suspicion, which they maintained was insufficient to sustain criminal charges, particularly for a serious offense such as murder.
Speaking to graphic.com.gh after the court proceedings, Franklin Kwame Asante, husband of the deceased, strongly criticised the Attorney Generals decision.
He questioned the rationale behind the discharge, alleging that the suspects had openly admitted to committing the crime in a video, and expressed disbelief that such footage could be dismissed, insisting that it amounted to incriminating evidence.
“The suspects were videotaped, they confessed to the killing, and somebody at the AG’s office says that there is no evidence? How do you sum it up? So, the confession that he gave detailing the circumstances of the murder doesn’t matter? he lamented.
Also reacting to the development, Robert Tandoh, brother of the late Josephine Asante, criticised the effectiveness of the judicial system, casting doubt on the credibility of police investigations conducted over the past five years.
He assured that, despite the setback, the family will seek legal advice and continue to pursue the matter until justice is served and the perpetrator is brought to book.
“We, the family, will go back and review this, but as he said, if you say insufficient evidence and it’s taking us five years for you to realise insufficient evidence, there is a question mark on everything about this murder,” he said.
“We have requested for the court records and also the AG’s advice. We will go back and see what options we have, and then we will follow those options to its end, he added.
Josephine Asante was fatally stabbed at her residence at Community 25 in Tema in 2019 after she had returned home from a staff party at the company.
Asante was allegedly attacked in her bedroom shortly after returning from the party.
The attackers reportedly locked her inside and threw the keys onto the compound after the assault.
Notably, no valuable items were taken from the house, effectively ruling out robbery as a motive.
MAG/VPO
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