A District Court in Accra has ordered for a comprehensive medical report on Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah, the second suspect being held in connection with the gruesome murder of Professor Emmanuel Yaw Benneh of the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana.
The court presided over by Ama Adomako Kwakye further ordered the police to treat Mr. Nkansah, who is also on admission at the Police Hospital in Accra, with the “expected standards of health care.”
It, however, turned down a bail application put in by Emmanuel Larbi Amoah, counsel for Agya Nkansah.
The court order came after Mr. Amoah had decried the state of the health of his client, saying he was afraid he would also not overcome his pain if the appropriate care was not given to his client.
The first accused person, James Nana Womba, died while on admission at the Police Hospital, and Mr. Amoah claimed a similar fate could befall his client.
Defence counsel said he was shocked the police could not present Agya Nkansah in court, and added that he had visited Agya Nkansah and taken pictures of him, saying, “It is not good for your eyes.”
Defence counsel recounted that Agya Nkansah did not resist arrest and was sent to the Regional Police Command and interrogated although he had said he was not involved in the crime.
Counsel then urged the court to order the police to send Agya Nkansah to a different medical facility for proper care, “otherwise he would not overcome his pain.”
Prosecuting Inspector Ebenezer Teye-Okuffo said he did not know where defence counsel was getting his information from, insisting that Agya Nkansah was receiving treatment and his superiors were aware of his client’s condition and an officer had been assigned to take care of the accused person.
Prosecution denied that the images produced by defence counsel was that of the image of Agya Nkansah, and quizzed the source of the pictures.
He said Agya Nkansah was brought to the District Court for committal processes and urged defence counsel to seek bail at the High Court.
Prosecution was optimistic that by the next adjourned date, Agya Nkansah would be well and the police would combine the case docket.
According to Prosecution, for security reasons, the Police Hospital is the safest place for Agya Nkansah to receive his medical treatment.
The court then ascertained from the investigator how Agya Nkansah was doing. The investigator said Agya Nkansah was doing well in a special ward and he had paid a visit to Agya Nkansah last Thursday.
Defence counsel then interjected saying, “I was there on Thursday and they gave him blood. A call was made to Nkansah’s hometown for somebody to come and donate blood.”
Womba is alleged to have acted together with Agya Nkansah, a resident of Ashiaman, and two others, currently at large to kill Prof. Benneh.
Womba and Agya Nkansah are facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime, to wit murder, and their plea are yet to be taken.
The facts as narrated by Inspector Teye-Okuffo were that Akosua Benneh, the elder sister of the deceased, is the complainant, while Womba is a domestic staff of the late Prof. Benneh at Adjiriganor, near East Legon, Accra.
Prosecution said on September 13, the body of the 66-year-old professor was found in a pool of blood in a supine position with his hands and legs tied.
It said the deceased had been pulled from his veranda to his bedroom and had multiple body cuts with a piece of rag in his mouth, while his body was in a state of decomposition.
Prosecution said the body of the professor had since been deposited at the Police Hospital morgue in Accra.
He said on September 13, this year, investigations led to the arrest of Womba, who confessed to the crime and mentioned Badu and others as his accomplices.
On September 21, this year, a post mortem conducted by one Dr. Owusu Afriyie, a pathologist at the Police Hospital, revealed the cause of death to include strangulation and suspected homicide.
Police intelligence led to the arrest of Agya Nkansah at Ashiaman while efforts are underway to apprehend the other accomplices.
The matter has been adjourned to November 18.
Meanwhile, Ebenezer Quaysie, the third suspect has been remanded into police custody to reappear on November 26.
Prosecution is optimistic that by the next adjourned date, Nkansah will be medically fit so the case will be consolidated.
GNA