Tears flow for murdered pastor

Some family and church members of the murdered 64-year-old Head Pastor of the End Time Bible Believers Fellowship in Tamale, Pastor Ebenezer Ocran, could not hold back their tears in court when his alleged murderers appeared before the Tamale District Court on Tuesday.

Those who could be heard weeping loudly in the courtroom were escorted outside by the policemen deployed on the court premises to provide security.

There were murmurings and screams of “oh why, oh why” when the first accused, Dogyi Kwame, 28, responded in the affirmative to a question by the presiding magistrate, Mr Anthony Asaah, if he (accused) had killed the pastor.

Dogyi and Akwasi Obio, 21, both students of the Tamale Technical University (TaTU), were remanded in police custody to reappear before the court on November 28, 2017.

They have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, murder and theft by the police.

Their pleas were not taken in court.

Facts

The prosecutor, Inspector Patrick Acheampong, told the court that the complainant in the case is an assistant pastor of the End Time Believers Fellowship at Kumbuyili, near Malshegu on the Kumbungu road, while the two accused persons are students of the TaTU.

He said around 11 a.m. on November 9, 2017, the two accused persons attacked Pastor Ocran at his residence at Kumbuyili, near Malshegu.

He said the accused stabbed Pastor Ocran in the chest and later hit his head with a pestle and locked him up in the room.

He told the court that after the act, the accused took away a Samsung Galaxy phone and GH¢200 belonging to the deceased and also drove away his Toyota Highlander 4X4 vehicle, with registration number GN 1763-14.

About 10 p.m., that same day, Pastor Ben Asamoah, an assistant pastor of the End Time Believers Fellowship at Kumbuyili reported to the police that he had visited Pastor Ocran but found him dead in his house and that his Toyota Highlander vehicle was also missing.

Inspector Acheampong said about 3 p.m. on November 10, 2017, the police had information that a Toyota Highlander vehicle, with registration number GN1763-14, which had been sent to the Tamale Industrial Area for re-spraying was also up for sale at the cost of GH¢20,000.

He said the police, on receiving the information, dispatched some detectives to the Industrial Area, located the said vehicle, feigned interest in buying it and later requested a test drive.

Inspector Acheampong said during the test drive, the team drove the vehicle to the police station, where it was kept, while communication with the supposed owner began through a telephone number he had left with the mechanic.

He said it was at that point that the police started investigations into the murder case.

He said when the alleged owner of the vehicle, Dogyi, was arrested, he mentioned his cousin, Obio, as his accomplice.