The Jury in the trial of two teenage boys, charged for the 2021 murder of a 10-year-old boy in Kasoa, in the Central Region, will Tuesday May 7, return its verdict in the case. Justice Lydia Osei who is hearing the case, announced, on the previous court date, for the summation of the trial on May 7, 2024 after lawyers in the case, told the court, they had filed their written addresses at the court’s registry.
The two teenage boys, have been facing trial in the 2021, murder case. While one has pleaded guilty to the murder, the other, has denied same. They have been in custody since their arrest, pending the final verdict.
From the last sitting, the prosecution, represented by Miss Dorcas Feli, a Senior State Attorney, told the court, the State, had filed its closing address at the registry of the court, on March 13, 2024, as directed by the Court.
Lawyers for the accused persons, however, were not able to carry out the court’s order, for reasons, they explained, were beyond their control. The presiding Judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, granting a request, for an adjournment for the day’s hearing, by the defense lawyers, asked for their written addresses to be filed by Monday March 18, 2024.
Justice Osei Marfo, then adjourned the case to May 7, 2024, for the summation and possibly verdict of the trial. Lawyers in the case are expected to address the jury on the adjourned date and after which the jury is expected to return its verdict on the case.
In all the prosecution, called six witnesses including the mother, father, and sister of one of the accused persons, to testify in the matter. Prosecution, maintained throughout the trial that, the two accused persons intentionally acted to cause the death of the victim Ismael Mensah Abdullah.
Police investigations and witness accounts, have described the gruesome scenes surrounding the alleged murder of the late Ishmael Mensah Abdulai, who met his death at the age of 11, April 3, 2021, in an uncompleted building near his family home in Kasoa in the Central Region. Two teenage boys, were arrested in connection to the murder and charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit murder and the substantive charge of murder.
It is suspected they, allegedly committed the crime for money rituals, as court documents indicate, the alleged killers, discussed how to get rich overnight and traveling for black magic. The first accused person, who initially denied the charges, later in the trial, pleaded guilty to the charges, however, his co-accused, has denied involvement in the killing and insists on his innocence.
