Dansoman Circuit Court has directed the Police Hospital to conduct an age assessment on Fatawu Issaka, a motor mechanic from Awoshie, who is facing charges of conspiracy to commit stealing and stealing.
The decision was made during a court session presided over by Her Honour Halimah El-Alawa Abdul-Baasit, following concerns that Issaka might be a minor. While the police prosecution maintains that he is 20 years old, doubts about his true age have arisen due to his physical appearance.
To resolve the uncertainty, the court has adjourned the case until February 19, 2025, pending the results of the age verification. Meanwhile, Issaka has been remanded at a juvenile detention center until further notice.
Issaka has been charged under Sections 23(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29). His alleged accomplices, identified as Aziz Moro and Godsway, remain at large.
The outcome of the age assessment will determine the next steps in the case, as minors are subject to different legal procedures under Ghanaian law.
Brief Facts
According to police investigations, on February 5, 2025, at about 1:48 a.m., the complainant, Osei Asibey Poku, a facility officer residing at Awoshie Market, was alerted by his dog’s barking. Looking out his window, he saw Issaka and two others standing beside his fence wall.
Suspicious of their actions, Poku called his neighbors, including a witness, Alfred Boateng, for assistance. Together, they confronted the suspects, but Aziz and Godsway managed to escape, leaving Issaka behind.
Issaka was arrested and taken to the police station, where he admitted to conspiring with the two fugitives to steal goats.
He, however, claimed that he remained at the entrance while his accomplices scaled the wall to take the animals.
During a search at the crime scene, police discovered a sack containing two dead goats near the complainant’s wall. Issaka identified the animals as the ones stolen and killed in the compound.
Police intelligence gathered during the investigation indicates that Issaka is a notorious criminal, having been arrested multiple times at different police stations within the division for various offenses.
He has since admitted to the crime in his caution statement, and a manhunt is underway for his two accomplices.
The case is still under investigation.
