Prof. Benneh murder: State still can’t explain in court why second accused is ‘hospitalised’

For the fourth consecutive time, the second accused person in the trial for the murder of Prof Benneh, has failed to make an appearance in court.

This is because Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah is still on admission at the Police hospital in Accra, the prosecution explained again in court.

His last appearance in court was in September, this year. Prosecution has failed to furnish the Kaneshie District Court with a comprehensive medical report on the exact condition of the accused person.

At the last hearing, the prosecutor Inspector Ebenezer Teye Okuffo had assured the court that Opambour would be present on Wednesday [November 18, 2020].

Inspector Okuffo promised to provide a medical report should he fail to bring the accused person who is on admission.

But prosecution again, failed to do either.

“The accused person is not in court because there are some drugs that is needed to be administered on him on November 25, 2020 at the Korle Bu Teaching hospital and the investigator is working on that.

“However, he is responding to treatment but if on November 25, 2020, the accused is still not here, the prosecution will be able to furnish this court with the medical report it asked for,” Inspector Okuffo indicated.

The legal counsel for the accused person, Emmanuel Larbi Amoah, who had a contrary view on the health status of his client was not in court on Wednesday.

The defence counsel accused the prosecution of torturing Opambour.

According to him, evidence he had gathered confirmed the accused had been tortured while in custody and not sick as the prosecution wanted the court to believe.

“I visited the accused person at the hospital and had the opportunity to take pictures of the accused person. These are the true pictures of the accused, who was arrested and interrogated.

“But he was tortured and that is the proof of what they did to him in while in custody,” he said showing the pictures to the prosecution.

Mr Amoah also raised concerns that the accused person was not being properly taken care of at the Police Hospital.

With the first accused person, James Nana Womba, already dead, the lawyer feared the second accused person’s fate might not be different if care is not taken.

“It is our prayer that if something is not done about Opambour’s case, there will be a similar announcement like that of the main accused person.

“Opambour is totally destroyed from knee level, not to talk of his back. He is also not being taken care of. We will like to have a second opinion from a private medical facility,” the lawyer demanded at the last hearing.

The prosecution, however, disagreed.

The prosecutor, Inspector Okuffo, said to the best of his knowledge, the accused person was being well taken care of.

He insisted that for security purposes, the Police Hospital was the best place to keep Opambour Nkansah.

Inspector Okuffo also said the pictures shown to him by the lawyer, was not that of the accused person.

“We don’t know the source of this photograph. The man in the picture is not the accused person as is being suggested by the lawyer,” the prosecution insisted.

A glimpse of the man in the picture showed someone who had his hand, head, and leg bandaged. His left leg revealed a deep sore, with the flesh slightly peeled off.

Meanwhile, a new suspect in the murder of the university lecturer, Professor Emmanuel Benneh has been hauled before the court and prosecution is expected to bring an amended charge sheet.

Ebenezer Kweyisi was brought before the court on October 30, this year. He became the third suspect to be arraigned in addition to the lead suspect, but now late, James Nana Womba, and Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah.

The prosecution is yet to give details of the exact role the new suspect allegedly played in the death of the law lecturer on September 10, 2020, in his mansion at Adjiriganor.

As the court engages prosecution and the lawyers in a legal tussle, the murdered Prof Emmanuel Yaw Benneh will be buried on November 21, 2020 at the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic church at the University of Ghana, Legon.

The case is set to continue on December 8, 2020.

Background

Four suspects were remanded into police custody over their involvement in the murder of Professor Emmanuel Yaw Benneh, a prominent lecturer of the University of Ghana.

The suspects were put before the Kaneshie Circuit Court on September 13, after they were all slapped with murder charges.

James Nana Womba, 26; Isaac Botchway, 41; Christian Pobee, 32 and Adams Mensah Mansur, 52, are domestic workers at the mansion of the late Associate Professor situated at Agyiringano.

The facts of the case as presented by Inspector Okuffo, was that Professor Benneh’s lifeless body was found in his home at about 8 am on Thursday, September 10, in a pool of blood with his hands tied behind his back and marks of multiple acts of assault and resultant cuts on his body.

READ ALSO: The Inside Story: University Of Ghana Law Lecturer Murdered In East Legon Mansion

Prof.  Benneh had retired from the university but worked on contract and lived alone in his mansion.

There was no sign of a break-in. However, one Isaac Botchway, who was the late law professor’s houseboy said the last time he spoke to him was on September 10 at about 8 pm.

Mr. Botchway said he lived in Accra Central and Prof. Benneh normally called him whenever he needed him to run errands for him.

After finding out that the professor was not answering the door, they broke in.

“When the door was forced open, he was found dead,” Botchway narrated.

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