The Kwabenya Circuit Court has ordered the police to make sure the Physiatric Hospital provides the full medical examination of Newell Gavu, the man accused smashing the statues of the country’s national heroes at the Kotoka Airport roundabout a few weeks ago.
This was after uncle of the accused, Winnard Kwesi Gavu, on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, told the Court that he took the accused to the mental health facility at Pantang in Accra, after he started exhibiting anti-social behavioural signs.
The 70-year-old retired church accountant told the Court, presided by Mrs. Mawusi Bedjirah that, the suspect was treated and discharged and put on medications.
He added, however, that Newell at a point in time, stopped taking his medications, threw then away, burnt all his hospital cards and left home.
He also told Angelonline.com.gh Court Correspondent, Ama Brako Ampofo in an exclusive interview that, the family is unable to support further medical treatment for their relative.
This was after the Judge pleaded with them to do so since the investigator is the one who has been using his own pocket money to pay for the medical bills of the suspect after the arrest was made.
“It is very sad the court is asking us to support the medical examination within this week [because] we do not have money and we cannot do anything now.”
“We plead with the general public to help us seek medical attention for our son,” Mr Winnard Gavu told the reporter.
Medical records
Police visited the Pantang Mental Hospital for information to corroborate the claims made by uncle of the accused but could not immediately access that.
The hospital authorities told the police that they had migrated from their old system of record keeping to a digital system as such, they will need time to check from the old records to give any such information to the police.
Facts
Narrating the facts of the case to the court, Chief Inspector Gershon Achondo told the court on August 31, 2024, at about 4:10 am, one Henry Akorlie (Jnr) who is complainant in the case, was on his way to work at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) terminal 3.
On reaching the Airport roundabout, he saw the accused person Newell Gavu with a hammer breaking the big six statues erected at the Airport there.
Complainant immediately rushed on the accused and caused his arrest and handed him over to the police.
On receipt of the complaint the police visited the scene and realised that, the accused person had broken five of the ‘Big Six’ statues into pieces remaining one with part of the head broken.
Accused person admitted the offence during interrogation but gave inconsistent statements and later stated that, he was directed by a spirit in his dream to destroy the statues.
He said, further police interrogation revealed that the accused person and his family were squatters in an uncompleted building at Oyarifa Ampomah l’ast stop.
Newell admitted the offence in his cautioned statement while.the case has been adjourned to September 18, 2024, awaiting results a full medical examination conducted on him.
