After close to seven years of trial, a seven-member jury on Wednesday, May 14, returned a guilty verdict in the murder case involving the killing of the Senior Pastor of the Central Assemblies of God Church at Tema in 2018.
The convict, Francis Nabegmado, a relative of the deceased, inflicted a fatal knife wound on Rev. Dr. David Nabegmado on December 30, 2018, after alleging that the senior pastor was a false preacher who engaged in idol worship and human sacrifices.
After an hour of summing up by the judge, Mary Maame Ekue Yanzuh, the jury retired briefly and returned with a unanimous guilty verdict.
Based on the unanimous decision of the jurors, who had earlier studied statements from five prosecution witnesses and listened to the summing-up, the judge sentenced the 38-year-old to life imprisonment.
Items found in the convict’s bag at the time of his arrest included turpentine, Kasapreko gin, and matches.
When given an opportunity to comment on the verdict, the convict told the judge, “My Lady, I want to see my family, and I want to be taken to Yendi.”
When the judge explained that she couldn’t make such an order, Francis insisted, saying, “I insist.”
Francis, who will now spend the rest of his life at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, had claimed throughout the trial that his actions were driven by insanity. However, that defense did not prevent the life sentence.
Speaking after the sentencing, Senior Pastor of the Assemblies of God Church at Tema Community 4, Rev. Emmanuel Kwesi Ofori, said the church had waited seven years for closure and would issue an official statement soon.