Big Six effigies’ destruction case adjourned to Sep 18

Gavel

The Kwabenya Circuit Court has adjourned the case of Newwell Gavu to September 18, the man being held for destroying statues of the Big Six at Airport Roundabout, in Accra.

Thisis to enable the court to receive a comprehensive report on the mental status of accused Gavu, 37-year-old CCTV installer.

Meanwhile, the court has received a preliminary report on the accused, after visiting the PantangPsychiatric Hospital for examination.This followed the court’s order to the police to take Gavu to the health facility for mental examination.

According to the case investigator, authorities at the Pantang Hospital have indicated that the accused will have to undertake a brain scan.

The hospital authorities would have to interview parents and relatives of accused before they could furnish the court with a comprehensive report.

The investigator said the police would need financial support to be able to carry out the various scans because the Pantang Hospital, Police Hospital,and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital did not have machines for the scans, except private hospitals, which was expensive.

The court, therefore, advised the family of accused to support the police financially for the scanning, and appealed to the Pantang Hospital authorities to expedite action on scanning and comprehensive report on the accused’s mental status.

Meanwhile, the accused is being held for allegedly destroying the monumental effigies of the Big Six, and his plea has not been taken by the court.

On August 31, 2024, the police arrested Gavu for allegedly vandalising the monuments of the Big Six: Kwame Nkrumah; Joseph Boakye (‘J.B.’) Danquah; Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey; Ebenezer Ako-Adjei; William Ofori Atta and Edward Akufo-Addo, who fought for Ghana’s independence, at the Airport Roundabout, Accra.

The police in a statement commended members of the public and AirportSecurity for their vigilance, which led to the arrest of Gavu.

Prosecution of the case has been taken over by the Attorney General Department,hence Natalie Opoku Hammond, a State Attorney,represented the state when the matter was called.

The case before the court is that Gavu resides at Oyarifa in Accra.

The complainant (name withheld),who was on his way to workat the Kotoka International Airport, saw the accused with a hammer breaking the Big Six statues, erected at theAirport Roundabout.

The complainant caused the arrest of Gavu and he (accused) was handed over to the police.

Police say, during interrogation Gavu gave inconsistent statements but later stated that he was directed by a spirit in his dream to destroy the statues.

Police investigations revealed that Gavu, who lived with his parents, had been behaving abnormally.

Gavu’suncle took him (Gavu) to the PantangPsychiatric Hospital, where he was treated and discharged and put on medication.

Police investigationhas also revealed thatGavu stopped taking his medication, burnt all his hospital documents (cards), threwall his medicines away and left home. —GNA