Prof Benneh murder: Second accused freed after almost five months in custody
The second accused person standing trial for the murder of University of Ghana law lecturer, Professor Emmanuel Benneh, has been set free.
After almost five months in custody, the Kaneshie District Court discharged the accused, Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah.
This was after prosecution informed the court presided over by Ama Adomah Kwakye that the accused was innocent.
The prosecutor, Inspector Emmanuel Ekuffo said “the advice of the Attorney General brought to court as bill of indictment indicated that, the accused person, Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah is innocent and as such should not be charged, but discharged”.
Inspector Ekuffo stated that the third accused person Ebenezer Kweyisi should be charged with murder.
Opambour’s discharge comes after several months in police custody and visits to the Police hospital and Korle Bu Teaching hospital.
Although, the accused person was arrested for Prof Benneh’s murder, he had been unable to sit through the entire court proceedings due to his health condition.
Opambour fell sick after three appearances in court. This was shortly after the death of the main suspect James Nana Womba.
The police could not tell the court what was wrong with the accused person but believed he would soon join his colleague in court.
Counsel for Opambour, was however not happy with the development.
On November 9, 2020, Opambour’s counsel accused the police of torturing his client after a short visit at the hospital.
Emmanuel Larbi Amoah, who visited his client on November 5, said he left the hospital completely shattered.
This was because the evidence he had gathered confirmed the accused had been tortured while in custody and not sick as police 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 custody,” he said showing the pictures to the prosecution.
Mr Amoah had 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 time, prosecution, said the accusation was not true.
The prosecutor, Inspector Teye Ekuffo, 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 Ekuffo 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.
After months of absence, the judge demanded a comprehensive medical report, which was provided.
The accused joined the third accused person Ebenezer Kweyisi in court again on January 15, 2020.
But now, Opambour, still unable to walk properly after months on a hospital bed, walks a free man.
Background
Four suspects were remanded into police custody over their involvement in the murder of Professor 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 Ebenezer Teye-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.
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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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