Prof. Benneh murder: Police pray for date for committal proceedings to commence
The Police is praying the Kaneshie District Court for a date to enable a representative of the Attorney General Office appear in court to start the committal proceedings against Ebenezer Quaisie, aka, Junior, being held for the murder of law lecturer, Professor Emmanuel Yaw Benneh.
Prosecuting, Inspector Ebenezer Teye-Okuffo, said the Police had charged Quaisie, in line with the Attorney General’s advice.
Inspector Teye-Okuffo, said the Police had sent back the docket to the AG’s office and needed a firm date to enable the representative of the AG to appear in court to quick start the committal proceedings against the accused person.
The court, presided over by Ms. Ama Adomako Kwakye, adjourned the matter to May 19, 2021, for the commencement of the committal proceeding against Quaisie, aka, Junior, a mason apprentice, being held on the charge of abetment of crime.
Meanwhile, Quaisie has prayed the court to assist him get access to his phone, which is in custody as an exhibit.
He said he needed the phone for some contacts that could assist him financially.
Quaisie said he wanted to speak to his employer and others for some assistance, adding that, he knew he could not get access to the phone but he should be allowed to retrieve some phone contacts.
The court advised him to talk to his mother who was present in court to get a lawyer for him.
The prosecution had told court that, “The Attorney General’s advice is ready and per the advice, dated 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.”
As a result, he court discharged Opambour and struck out the charge preferred against him for want of prosecution.
The Police had held two suspects – 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.
The 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.
It 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.
It said the Police found on the scene a hand glove, 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 Quaisie 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 Quaisi to assist him execute the plan.
The prosecution told the Court that Quaisi 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 persons in their investigative cautioned statements, narrated how each of them conspired with Womba to kill the victim.
Source: GNA