Prof. Benneh murder: One suspect freed
Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah, one of the suspects allegedly involved in the murder of Professor Emmanuel Yaw Benneh, a law lecturer, has been discharged by the Kaneshie District Court.
This follows an advice received by the Police from the Attorney-General’s Office.
The Prosecution led by Inspector Ebenezer Teye Okuffo, told the Court presided over by Ms Ama Adomako that, “The Attorney General’s advice is ready and per the advice dated on March 2, this year, Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah should not be charged.
“However, Ebenezer Quaisie, aka, Junior, a 25-year-old mason, should be charged with abetment of crime to wit murder, in view of this, we pray the court to uphold this.”
The Court, therefore, discharged Opambour and struck out the charge preferred against him for want of prosecution.
In the case of Quasie, the Court adjourned the matter to April 17, 2021, hoping that “by that time Quaisie’s Bill of Indictment would be ready.”
In February this year, the prosecution, informed the court that a comprehensive duplicate docket on Professor Benneh, who was murdered at his residence at Agyriganor had been forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice.
Inspector Ebenezer Teye-Okuffo said the Police was then waiting for directives from the AG’s office.
The Police had held two suspects, namely, Ebenezer Quaisie and Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah for their involvement in the murder of the law lecturer, following the death of the prime suspect, James Nana Womba, in Police custody, who was the house boy of the late Prof. Benneh.
Mr. Emmanuel Labra Amah, counsel for Opambour, after the Court sitting today, told journalists that he had from day one stated that his client was innocent and he was elated that the truth had prevailed.
According to Mr. Amah, he would be waiting for his client to get well and decide on their next line of action.
Opambour’s elated mother hugged counsel for his role saying. “I am grateful to God for my son. I don’t have anything to say.”
Opambour who now walked with clutches following surgeries conducted on his two legs said, “I have nothing to say for now. I will be going for my things at the Police Station.”
The Prosecution told the Court that, Akosua Benneh-Akuffo, the complainant, is the niece of the late Prof Benneh, the deceased, whilst James Nana Womba, the prime suspect, now deceased was a cleaner in the deceased’s house at Agyiringanor.
He said Womba’s accomplices; Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah, was unemployed and lives at Ashaiman, Accra, while Ebenezer Kwayisi, a mason apprentice, also resides at Kasoa.
Prosecution said, on September 12, last year, at about 0800 hours, the deceased was found lying dead in a pool of blood in a corridor leading to his bedroom.
He said the deceased was lying in prone position with his hands tied behind him with a white rope and his legs also tied with a green rope just below the knees.
The prosecution said examination on the body of the victim revealed multiple marks of assault on the face, with a cloth partly inserted in his mouth.
He said the Police found on the scene a hand gloves, a white rope with blood stains and blood stains on the walls.
The prosecution said, Police Crime Scene Management Team examined the scene and lifted a visible blood tainted thumb impression on the wall close to where the victim’s body laid.
The Prosecution said the body was deposited at the Police Hospital Mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
Inspector Teye-Okuffo said on September 21, last year, a post mortem examination was conducted on the deceased’s body and the pathologist gave the immediate cause of death as, “Asphyxiation, Strangulation and suspected homicide.”
He said on September 13, last year, James Nana Womba, now deceased was arrested for investigation and his finger prints taken and sent to Finger Print Section of CID Headquarters for examination.
The prosecution said the result from the headquarters indicated the fingerprints captured at the crime scene were identical to that of Womba.
According to the prosecution, Womba confessed to the crime during investigations and mentioned Nkansah and Kwayisi as his accomplices who were later arrested.
Inspector Teye- Okuffo informed the Court that investigations revealed that during the month of August last year, Womba contacted Opambour and hatched a plan to murder the victim in his house, so Womba assigned Opambour to recruit a gang to execute the plan.
He said two weeks later, the deceased, Womba had a change of mind and contacted Kwayisi to assist him execute the plan.
The prosecution told the Court that Kwayisi agreed and visited Womba and both discussed in detail how the plan was going to be carried out and on September 10, last year, the accused persons allegedly went to the victim’s house and executed their plan by killing the Professor.
He said the accused in their investigative cautioned statements narrated how each of them conspired with Womba to kill the victim.
Source: GNA