The two teenage boys who killed Ten year old Ismael Mensah Abdallah at Kasoa in 2021 for money rituals have been convicted by an Accra High Court.
This was after the jury unanimously pronounced a guilty verdict on two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and murder.
The first accused who was 15 years, a Juvenile at the time of the offence in 2021 has been referred to a Juvinile Court for sentencing while the second accused Nicholas Kini has been sentenced to life Imprisonment.
Justice Lydia Osei Marfo the presiding judge before passing her sentence advised parents to be more responsible with a quote from former first lady of America, Hilliary Clinton which says ” When parents neglect children, society pays the price of increased crime”
Before the final verdict both Prosecution and Defence lawyers gave their closing addresses. It was the case of the Prosecution led by Nana Adoma Osei that, they have established without a doubt that the two accused persons murdered the deceased.
On the part of the defence, lawyer for the first accused, Samuel Atuah expressed their deepest condolence to family of Ismael Mensah Abdallah. She told the court that, his client has confessed to committing the offence and for which reason he did not intend to waste the court’s time with his closing address. He used the opportunity to plead with the jury to return a verdict of not guilty for his client.
On the part of the second accused, lawyer Lawrence Boampong holding brief for Martin Kpebu told the court that, the second accused he was not at the crime scene. He contended that, the Prosecution could not establish any agreement between the first and second accused. He further said the evidence given by Prosection witness, Comfort Nyarko and.othe witnesses were based on hearsay and must not be entertained by the court. He also used the opportunity to plead with the jury to return a verdict of not guilty for the second accused on the offence of conspiracy to commit murder and murder.
The trial of the two teenagers started in 2021 after it emerged that, they allegedly killed Ismael, their 10 year old friend for money rituals. The two boys were arrested on April 4, 2021 and arraigned before the Ofaakor district court on April 7, 2021 and later transferred to the Kaneshie District Court in August 2021 following an advice by the then Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yebaoh for an expeditious trial.
At the Kaneshie District court, the first accused made a shocking confession that they killed a pregnant woman in Kasoa prior to the gruesome killing of the 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah Abdallah. However the second accused denied his involvement.
The first accused also detailed events that led to the killing of the young boy.
He stated that the idea of money rituals stemmed from watching a TV advert featuring a woman claiming increased wealth through a 5,000 cedis (GHC 5,000) investment. He said he told his accomplice (2nd Accused) about the advert and when they called, a woman confirmed what he had seen on television and promised to make them rich.
The said fetish priestess, Charity Mensah alias Nsuo Hemaa at the center of the case was arrested but was later released after the Police said that, they found no relation between her and the two teens.
The case was again transferred to the High court in Accra in 2022 after the Kaneshie District Court committed them to stand murder trial.
The Prosecution called 7 witnesses to testify after including father of the deceased. Two of the witnesses, a pathologist at the Police Hospital Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dr. Osei Owusu- Afriyie and the investigator in the case, Chief Inspector Isaac Asiedu Odei testified that, the deceased was buried alive.
At the High court in Accra presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, the first accused admitted they committed the crime insisting the second accused was his accomplice however, the second accused denied his involvement during his testimony. He pleaded with the court to conduct a forensic test on the exhibits presented by the Prosecution to verify his innocence.s.
Source: Philipa Atanga/Court Reporter/Despite Media
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