Man jailed 30 years over Prof Benneh’s murder 

A mason apprentice, Ebenezer Kwayisi, has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by the Accra High Court for his role in the murder of former law lecturer at the University of Ghana , Professor Emmanuel Yaw Benneh.

The 28 year old was slapped with the jail term today by the court, presided over by Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh after he pleaded guilty to abetment to manslaughter.

Kwayisi , who was charged with abetment to commit murder, decided to come under Section 239(2)  of the Criminal and Other Offences (Procedure )Act, 1960 (Act 30), and reached an agreement with the prosecution to rather plead guilty to abetment to manslaughter, which carries a less sentence than murder.

Under Section 239 (2) Act 30, a person charged with an offence can plead guilty to a similar offence related to the same offence based on an agreement with the prosecution.

Following the agreement, the prosecution recommended a sentence of 30 years which was accepted by the court.

The convict will serve his jail term in hard labour.

Murder
Prof Benneh was gruesomely murdered at his residence in September 2020

During the course of the case, the prime suspect , James Nana Womba, a cleaner at the residence of Prof Benneh, who confessed to killing the lecturer died in police custody on October 17, 2020.

The prosecution said on September 12, 2020 at  about 8 a.m., the deceased was found lying dead in a pool of blood in prone position in a corridor leading to his bedroom, with his hands tied behind him with a white rope and his legs also tied with a green rope just below the knees and a cloth partly inserted into his mouth.

It said examination on the body of the victim revealed multiple marks of assault on the face.

It added that the police also found on the scene, a hand glove, a blood-stained white rope and blood stains on the walls.

Confession 
According to the prosecution, on September 13, 2020 , Womba was arrested and his fingerprints were taken and sent to the Finger Print Section of the CID Headquarters for examination.

The prosecution told the court that the result from the examination showed that the fingerprints captured at the crime scene were identical to those of Womba.

It added that Womba confessed to the crime during investigation and mentioned one person (he was later set free) and Kwayisi as his accomplices. The two were subsequently arrested at their various hideouts.

Investigations
The prosecution informed the court that investigations also revealed that during the month of August, last 2020, Womba hatched a plan with to murder Prof Benneh in his house,

It said two weeks later, Womba contacted Kwayisi to assist him to execute the plan.

The prosecution said Kwayisi agreed and on September 10, 2020, he went to the house of Prof Benneh where he and Womba put their plan into action and killed the professor.

It was case of the prosecution that the accused in his caution statements narrated he  conspired with Womba to kill the victim.

Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh