An Accra High Court has made a decision to defer the verdict in the case of two teenagers accused of conspiring to murder 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah Abdella in Kasoa.
The presiding judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, explained that due to circumstances beyond the court’s control, the case’s summation to the 7-member jury and subsequent judgment had to be postponed.
Before the summation, both the defense and prosecution were supposed to address the jury with their final statements. The case has now been adjourned to June 24 to allow Defense and Prosecution lawyers to present their closing arguments.
In response to the court’s decision, a spokesperson for the murdered victim’s family expressed disappointment. Harrison Mensah conveyed the family’s frustration, stating, “As a family, we’re disappointed that the case has taken another twist, but there’s nothing we can do. We just hope that the court will abide by their word and deliver the judgment on June 24.”
The two accused individuals have pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy and murder. The 15-year-old juvenile (1st Accused) admitted to the offense and confessed that they “committed the crime together,” while the 18-year-old young offender (2nd Accused) denied the allegations.
Prosecution revealed on March 29, 2021, that the accused teenagers had consulted a ritualist for money rituals (Sakawa). The ritualist, purportedly from the Volta Region, demanded GH¢5,000 and a human being for the rituals. Subsequently, on April 3, 2021, the accused individuals decided to use the boy in furtherance of their Sakawa mission.
The prosecutor detailed that the juvenile accused lured the boy into an unfinished building where the second accused waited with a pickaxe club. The boy was tricked into bending down to retrieve a video game from a sack, and as he did so, the second accused struck him at the back of his neck with the club, causing him to collapse.
Despite the boy’s pleas for forgiveness, he was hit with a cement block on the head by the second accused. The unconscious boy was then buried in a shallow grave in the room by the accused duo, with the intention of taking him to the ritualist.
The case has seen several twists and turns, leading to frustration and disappointment among the victim’s family. The upcoming judgment on June 24 will hopefully bring some closure to this tragic incident and serve justice for young Ishmael Mensah Abdella.
