Notorious robber and jailer breaker, Johnson Kombian, who is standing trial for allegedly killing two policemen in the Northern region, was left with no lawyer to defend him, when he appeared in court, Monday, March 17.

Kombian's counsel failed to appear before the Fast track court (FCT) presided over by Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh with no stated reason.

The absence of defense counsel in court infuriated Principal State Attorney, Marina Appiah Opare, who was hoping to commence the prosecution of the case after a failed attempt some two weeks ago, when the accused person also known as Garkun (meaning “death fears”) failed to appear in court.

Kombian's absence in court on March 4 this year, was due to the failure of the police to serve the Ankaful Prison authorities, who are keeping the accused person in their custody for breaking jail, a jailer warrant to enable him appear in court.

It was expected that hearing will begin today be Konbian had no legal representation when the case was called Monday, compelling the court to adjourn hearing to Tuesday, March 18, 2014.

The accused person and his accomplices are alleged to have killed two police constables in the Nakpanduri Township of the Bunkprugu/Yunyoo district of the Northern Region.

He is facing two counts of murder and one count of conspiracy.

Kombian  and his accomplices, who are currently on the run, are alleged to have ambushed three policemen on October 17, 2010 and succeeded in killing two of them, Constable Prince Agyare and Constable Owusu Frimpong. 

The third policeman, Corporal Osei Bonsu, who sustained gunshot wounds, survived the attack.

The facts of the case are that Kombian allegedly conspired with his friend, Kofi Naaman, alias Accra Boy, to rob Djato Mathias and then attempted to kill him.

Kombian was arrested, tried and sentenced to serve six years in prison by the Circuit Court in Tamale but he escaped, while serving his jail term.

According to the prosecution, Kombian sought refuge in his home town at Nakpanduri in the Bunkprugu Yunyoo District in the Northern Region.

On October 17, 2010, the accused person and his accomplices received information that a number of policemen had been detailed to perform duties at the Nakpanduri Scarp.

Suspecting that the policemen had been assigned to pick him up, Kombian and his friends, who were also labeled as notorious robbers by the prosecution, ambushed and attacked the three policemen.

They allegedly shot the deceased policemen, who were riding a motorbike.

The accused person and his group continued to fire sporadically into the valley, with the hope of killing the policemen, who also retaliated with occasional gun fire.

Agyare made a distress call, while firing back at Kombian and his gang from his hide out.

 After 30 minutes of firing, Kombian and his gang stopped, and on realizing that the gunshots had ended, Agyare and his colleagues mistakenly thought their attackers had left. They, therefore, came out of their hideout and were subjected to more gun fire. 

Help finally came for Agyare and his colleagues but Kombian and his accomplices bolted.

The wounded policemen were conveyed to the Nalerigu Hospital but Agyare was later pronounced dead.

Frimpong died later, while Bonsu was transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra, where he was treated and discharged.

Kombian escaped to Togo after the incident but he was later picked up by the Togolese authorities and handed over to the Ghanaian authorities.

The accused person was convicted by the Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. E. Kyei-Baffour, and sentenced to serve five years imprisonment for escaping from lawful custody.

The accused person, who is currently serving an-11-year jail term, was subsequently put before the District Court, which committed him for trial at the High court.