The Accra High Court has scheduled the trial of Victor Stephen Nana Kankam, a landlord accused of the murder of his tenant, Benjamin Okyere in Ofankor in May 2020, to begin on October 17, 2023.
Kankam, who faces murder charges for allegedly shooting Benjamin Okyere multiple times, has pleaded not guilty and will remain on his former bail.
The State is expected to call nine witnesses to prove the murder charge against Kankam.
During the hearing on October 10, 2023, both the prosecution and defense counsel addressed the court.
The prosecution, led by Mrs. Sefakor Batse, Principal State Attorney, stated its intent to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Benjamin Okyere was intentionally shot multiple times at close range, causing his death.
The prosecution highlighted that Kankam admitted to being at the scene with a loaded gun but denied intentionally killing the deceased.
On the other hand, the defense counsel argued that Kankam had no intention of killing Okyere, emphasizing that Kankam went to the premises with the gun to talk to the deceased, not to shoot him. They called on the jury to return a verdict of not guilty at the end of the trial.
The prosecution presented a case where the complainant was John Bosco Kotah, a friend of the victim, Benjamin Okyere.
Okyere had rented an apartment from Kankam, and the rent was set to expire on May 24, 2020.
Kankam had previously informed Okyere that he wouldn't renew his tenancy after its expiration.
On the day the tenancy expired, Kankam, wearing a bulletproof vest and armed with a loaded gun, went to the apartment.
Okyere came out to meet him, accompanied by his friend John Bosco Kotah, who was already in the apartment.
Upon realizing that Kankam was armed, Okyere asked Kotah to call a police officer friend they had informed about their dispute earlier.
As Kotah went to get his phone, a gunshot was heard, and Okyere was found on the ground in a pool of blood.
Kankam fled the scene, and Kotah took Okyere to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.
A search of Kankam's residence revealed guns, live cartridges, and the bulletproof vest.
The cause of death, according to a postmortem examination, was “hemorrhagic shock, several chest injuries, and a gunshot at close range.”
- Reporting by Joyce Danso: Editing by Adewale Adejoke