Home Entertainment Manasseh Azure Awuni: Why Prof Benneh’s killers may not be discovered

Manasseh Azure Awuni: Why Prof Benneh’s killers may not be discovered

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My first conference with Prof. Emmanuel Yaw Benneh was in his office environment at the University of Ghana Legislation College, the place he had taught for 30 many years.

He wasn’t your regular outspoken law lecturer. He wasn’t a social commentator and if nothing brought you his way, you could not know about his existence if you weren’t his pupil, colleague lecturer or inside of his social circles.

He minded his organization, but he hated injustice.

The issue of my meeting with him was the delay, or somewhat, the denial of his advertising by authorities of the college. The College of Ghana is notorious for these kinds of filthy interior politics and nepotism. As I publish this, I know a range of individuals who should have particular positions but are being set apart simply because they never belong to the “right” cliques. They really do not have favour with those who matter at the major. My resources in the college say these types of dirty politics is at its all-time peak now.

That is a discussion for a further working day.

Prof. Benneh fought his case and petitioned until eventually he was offered a listening ear. He was finally promoted to an affiliate professor and his entitlements have been compensated to him.

“Those of us at the school were extremely happy of him due to the fact he fought the program and received,” a colleague legislation lecturer instructed me Saturday night time.

My second come across with Prof. Benneh was at the Kotoka Worldwide Airport very last yr. We bumped into every single other while going as a result of arrival formalities. We exchanged pleasantries briefly before heading to choose up our baggage.

Concerning our two meetings, nonetheless, Prof. Benneh had been on my head a range of situations. My relative labored close to his household and you could not go by that property with no noticing its imposing magnificence. It was not just a mansion. It is like a palace or a castle.

Like an exceptionally beautiful woman, if you passed by that residence without having searching again, then you’re both blind or stiff-necked.

“Ei, what a residence!”

“That’s Benneh’s house?”

“Which Benneh?”

“Which Benneh do you know?”

“It’s incredibly massive. I surprise how many men and women reside in this article.”

“He life alone…”

The most spectacular mansions in Ghana’s primest destinations are inhabited by a person or two persons. In some instances, the proprietors are overseas and caretakers are living in their quarters and keep the most important structures. So it was not unique with Prof. Benneh.

He had only just one child, a son who lives in the United States. His colleagues say he’d never ever been married.

If you satisfied Prof. Benneh in town, you would imagine you met a pauper if you’re just one of individuals who decide people by the form of autos they push. But if you followed him household, you would talk to the question a quantity of people today requested me soon after I reported from his house on Saturday and they noticed photographs of the dwelling.

“So that mansion belongs to a college lecturer?” 1 particular person questioned.

Benneh’s colleague lecturer told me he had been setting up that household for the earlier 25 yrs. It had been his venture due to the fact he returned from the University of Cambridge and started out teaching, he said. And he was nevertheless furnishing it at the time he died.

I was awoken from snooze with the information of the grotesque murder of Prof. Benneh. I drove there to scavenge for news, but I did not assume I would be permitted in. The total residence, I thought would be a crime scene, but I wished to nose all around and discuss to whoever I could discuss to. But I received extra than that.

 A male who explained himself as the late Prof. Benneh’s “houseboy” and an outdated male who claimed he was the deceased’s uncle permitted me in when I introduced myself as a journalist.

The houseboy, Isaac Botwe, led me to the scaled-down of the two structures. I had in no way noticed this a single even however I experienced passed by the household lots of moments. The late Benneh was not residing in the most important constructing, the imposing mansion. The entrance to the smaller building was at the back again, a bit obscure.

Isaac Botwe led Benneh’s uncle and me to the precise crime scene, the place his lifeless human body was observed. Later on some neighbours and relations arrived in. They all gained entry to the criminal offense scene without any difficulty, some thing his uncle was not pleased about.

“This is where by his entire body was found,” Isaac explained. “His palms and legs had been tied and he was lying in a pool of blood.”

Isaac had just washed the blood, but where by his lifeless body had lain – amongst the hall and the bedroom – nevertheless experienced blood stains on the white marble ground and trickles splattered on the reduce element of the wall.

Previously mentioned, hung a portrait of the late Benneh. Beneath his portrait was that of a handsome younger guy reported to be his son. There were being other portraits too. Amongst them was the photograph of Professor Kofi Awoonor, who was shot and killed by terrorists in the Kenya Westgate Mall assault in 2013.

“I have rearranged listed here,” Isaac continued his grim narration. “It seems he struggled with them before they killed him so right here was scattered. It is as if he attempted to run out.”

Isaac, who mentioned he lived in Accra Central, had spoken with him on the phone on Thursday night time at about 8pm. They experienced talked about the mechanics who had occur to do the job on his vehicle.

Prof. Benneh had sent a driver at the regulation faculty to obtain a car section at Abbosey Okai and when he returned with the car or truck portion on Friday, all tries to access him unsuccessful. That is why the legislation college became alarmed.

The tale on Saturday was that a gardener had come to operate that Saturday morning, and realised his vehicle was there but when he knocked numerous times, Prof. Benneh did not reply. He for that reason went to Benneh’s sister, who lived not considerably away and a carpenter was introduced in to crack the door.

There was no evidence of a carpenter intervening.

The law enforcement informed me afterwards that a carpenter was named, but one of the domestic employees experienced a critical so it was not damaged into. That answers Isaac’s question about wherever the carpenter touched. But he experienced insisted only the late Prof. and him (Isaac) had the important to the place.

The doorway to his space was intact. And the windows have been locked and experienced not been tampered with.

“He built us obtain locks for all these windows,” Isaac went on, “when his relative was killed. All these home windows had been locked and the key doorway was locked. There was no split-in so whoever killed him might have been given access by Prof. himself. The individual realized him.”

Prof. Yaw Benneh hated injustice. He has endured a form of injustice that is even worse than the just one he faced at the College of Ghana. But he’s not here to fight it. This struggle is in the palms of the Ghana Law enforcement Assistance. As I left his home, the imagined that came to thoughts was whether or not justice would be served or that he would be extra to the prolonged checklist of unresolved murders in the region.

I hoped his story would be different but feared it might be the similar. What I experienced observed in his residence was disturbing.

I am an investigative journalist, but not a police detective. But all types of prison investigations follow a wide define – heading immediately after proof, which an individual is fascinated in hiding or destroying.

In murder investigations, as opposed to corruption, the stakes are larger due to the fact there are generally no documentary traces. When the incident is not captured on CCTV cameras or the killer is not caught in the act, as in Prof. Benneh’s case, then a great deal far more sophistication is desired to website link the crime to the criminals. Proving it in court is even a lot more difficult.

When I bought to Prof. Benneh’s property, I was instructed the physique had just been conveyed to the law enforcement hospital. There was no one police officer or detective in the home. The criminal offense scene was not secured. Nothing at all showed that it was a criminal offense scene.

Here’s where by Prof. Benneh’s system was discovered. Just one of the suspects currently in custody was managing the criminal offense scene straight away the human body was taken absent. He gave me accessibility into the place.

The “houseboy” and other persons of fascination had not been questioned or picked up.

It was when I was about to depart that the siren of a law enforcement Toyota Camry blared outside the house. Jointly with the houseboy and individuals in the residence, we achieved the two occupants of the auto at the entrance.

“We’re not coming in,” the senior of the two policemen, who discovered himself as the station officer of the East Legon police, claimed.

He wanted to know the put so that in the night, he would mail a police man to guard the home “until more notice.” They left promptly.

As I left the dwelling, I knew why lots of murder instances are remaining unresolved in Ghana. You cannot take away the overall body devoid of securing the criminal offense scene. Any argument that the detectives may possibly have received everything they desired before conveying the system does not make investigative feeling.

You can’t get all the things in a single swoop, primarily before you even discover the individuals of curiosity.

On Sunday, the law enforcement introduced that they had picked up all 4 domestic personnel of Prof. Benneh to enable in the investigations. Amongst them is Isaac Botwe, the houseboy who cleaned the blood and rearranged the area after the human body was conveyed.

In essence, one particular of the suspects remaining held was the 1 who managed the criminal offense scene. If he had any proof to erase, wouldn’t he do it?

The “houseboy” and other folks of interest experienced not been questioned or picked up.

It was when I was about to depart that the siren of a law enforcement Toyota Camry blared outside the house. Jointly with the houseboy and individuals in the house, we satisfied the two occupants of the auto at the entrance.

“We’re not coming in,” the senior of the two policemen, who determined himself as the station officer of the East Legon police, said.

He needed to know the position so that in the evening, he would send out a police person to guard the residence “until additional discover.” They left straight away.

As I still left the household, I knew why numerous murder scenarios are left unresolved in Ghana. You are unable to choose away the overall body with out securing the criminal offense scene. Any argument that the detectives may perhaps have bought almost everything they required ahead of conveying the entire body does not make investigative perception.

You are unable to get every little thing in one particular swoop, in particular prior to you even identify the individuals of fascination.

On Sunday, the police announced that they experienced picked up all four domestic employees of Prof. Benneh to aid in the investigations. Amongst them is Isaac Botwe, the houseboy who cleaned the blood and rearranged the space immediately after the system was conveyed.

In essence, a single of the suspects being held was the just one who managed the crime scene. If he experienced any proof to erase, wouldn’t he do it?

If there is the will need to get fingerprints and other forensic particulars of Isaac, for occasion, and backlink him to the crime, they will will need to go back to the criminal offense scene. If they have to have to do similar for other persons of fascination who may perhaps be described in the course of the investigation, they would require to go back.

But the doors and tables and chairs and the floor of the space exactly where the late Professor was murdered have been touched by numerous people today, like me.

If Isaac’s fingers are traced to any object in the home, he can argue that he was the one particular who cleaned and rearranged the area after the human body was conveyed so his biometric traces had to be there. I have watched real daily life investigation where the DNA of a strand of human hair uncovered in the crime scene was the most essential piece of evidence that joined the killer to the crime.

In this situation, nonetheless, the criminal offense scene which could keep the essential to several critical pieces of proof was messed up right away the body was conveyed. The forensics have been compromised.

Our police need to sit up and move up their activity. In each and every situation they are managing, there really should be regular updates and at each level of the investigation. They can give the community facts and talk to for unique aid without having compromising the investigations.

Individuals usually have data to share. Since I protected Benneh’s tale, I was contacted with a direct, which I shared with the law enforcement. But the most disturbing concern is that quite a few folks do not trust the police.

When the diplomat was kidnapped in Accra final year, another person who understood the kidnapper reached out to me. When I got him the speak to of the guide investigator working on the scenario, he refused to meet him until I was component of the assembly.

Persons do not trust the law enforcement.

Another person at the time attained out to me when I did a tale that concerned shooting. The major suspect had, on 3 separate occasions, asked this particular person the place he could get a pistol to obtain. This was soon in advance of the capturing incident, but this resource refused to cooperate with the law enforcement.

In the 2015 Benita Dankwa taking pictures incident in Tema, the law enforcement unsuccessful to protected the criminal offense scene. It emerged in court docket that a blood-soaked towel, which was a critical piece of proof, was later on supplied by the major suspect to the victim’s cousin to wash. This would have manufactured the investigation and prosecution earlier if the police experienced identified this and confronted the partner, the only one particular who was in the space when Benita woke up with a bullet through her chest.

If the quite a few murder situations are to be fixed, the law enforcement have to be more experienced in their investigations and give the typical public the self confidence to appear forward with information and facts.

I pray that Prof. Benneh’s killers are located and punished. But if they are not observed, part of the rationale will be how the investigators went about their operate.

The author, Manasseh Azure Awuni, is a freelance investigative journalist. His e-mail handle is azureachebe2@yahoo.com



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