Justice Mary Yanzuh presided over the trial and handed down the sentence to Kwayisi after he pleaded guilty to abetment to murder under Section 239 of Act 30. The convict has been ordered to serve his sentence with hard labour.
Kwayisi's sentencing comes after a lengthy legal process that began in 2021 when he was committed to stand trial. The Attorney General recommended charging him with the murder of Prof Benneh. Kwayisi was one of three suspects arrested in connection with the case.
The prime suspect, James Womba, passed away in Police custody in October 2020. The third suspect, Opambour Agya Badu Nkansah, was discharged after advice from the Attorney General indicated his innocence.
Prof. Benneh was discovered dead in a pool of blood on a corridor leading to his bedroom on September 12, 2020. His hands and legs were bound with ropes, and a cloth was found partially inserted into his mouth. Examination of the body revealed multiple marks of assault on his face.
Prosecutors presented evidence from a postmortem conducted on September 21, 2021, which determined the cause of death as asphyxiation, strangulation, and suspected homicide.
The sentencing of Ebenezer Kwayisi marks a significant development in the quest for justice for the late Prof. Emmanuel Benneh. However, questions surrounding the circumstances of the murder and the involvement of other suspects continue to linger, leaving the case with lingering uncertainties.