Counsel, prosecutor clash over suspect in Prof. Benneh’s murder trial

An issue of the health condition of Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah, the second suspect in relation to the trial of the murder of Law Professor Emmanuel Yaw Benneh, became a bone of contention between the defence counsel and the prosecution in court on Monday (November 9, 2020).

At a hearing yesterday, Nkansah was not in court, but his counsel presented some pictures showing sores on a body alleged to be an image of the suspect.

However, the prosecutor, Inspector Ebenezer Teye-Okuffo, insisted that Nkansah was receiving treatment at the Police Hospital and the pictures presented to the court could not be that of the suspect.

Application for bail

Counsel for Nkansah, Mr Emmanuel Larbi, who presented the pictures to the Kaneshie District Court, applied for bail to enable his client to receive proper treatment.

“Parts of my client’s body are deteriorating and if something is not done about him, very soon there will be a similar announcement about the demise of Nkansah like that of the first accused persons (James Nana Womba) who died while still in police custody.”

However, in his response, Inspector Teye-Okuffo who doubted that the image was that of Nkansah said: “Looking at these photographs that counsel brought, you cannot even see the face of the accused person in the image.”

“I don’t know where counsel is getting all these information from because the Director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is aware of Nkansah’s condition and he personally assigned a medical doctor to treat him.”

“All what we are saying is that the photographs before you are not that of Nkansah,” the prosecutor insisted.

Health and death

The prosecutor, at the previous hearing, told the court that Nkansah was indisposed and was receiving treatment at the Police Hospital.

However, when the case came up for hearing yesterday, Nkansah was again absent and the prosecutor explained that he was still receiving treatment, praying for an adjournment.

Unfortunately, the lead suspect, James Nana Womba, who, according to the police, confessed to killing Prof. Benneh has died.

He died on October 17, 2020, while in police custody.

According to the police, he suddenly fell ill while in custody and was rushed to the police hospital where he died later.

Background

Prof. Emmanuel Yaw Benneh was found dead at his residence at Adjiriganor in Accra.

The body of the law lecturer, a younger brother of a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. George Benneh, was discovered in his residence on Saturday, September 12, 2020, lying in a pool of blood, with his hands tied behind him and his body bearing cuts all over.

During initial investigations, some other suspects were picked up but were all released later leaving Womba and Badu Nkansah alone to stand trial.