During a committal proceeding, Vitlas is to face a charge of murder following the Attorney General’s advice.

Vitlas, a Nigerian, is alleged to have murdered Patience Quaye, 35, a single mother who worked as a cashier at Twumasiwaa Hospital in East Legon, Accra.

The Attorney General’s representative told the Kaneshie District Court that the state would bring five witnesses, including Mohammed Mubarak, who had been released earlier.

Mubarak, a worker of the hospital, was picked up when investigations began.

He was alleged to have conspired with Vitlas to commit the crime.

The prosecution said it would also present several evidence to substantiate the murder charge against Vitlas.

Meanwhile, Vitlas told the District Court, presided over by Ama Adomako Kwakye during the committal proceedings, that he only went to the hospital to steal some money he desperately needed, and that he had no intention of killing the deceased.

The prosecution said that Vitlas was dismissed in February 2023 for alleged pilfering and was warned not to return to the hospital.

The court heard that, despite Management’s warning, Vitlas had been sneaking into the yard with the help of Mubarak, who was still working at the facility, to engage in alleged criminal activities.

The prosecution told the court that on March 6, 2023, the deceased worked the morning shift and reported for work as the cashier on duty.

On March 7, 2023, about 1330 hours, the deceased went to use the restroom in the Administrator’s Office.

Vitlas, who showed up at the facility, allegedly followed the victim into the Administrator’s office, grabbed her from behind, and strangled her.

According to the prosecution, Vitlas dragged the cashier’s motionless body into the storeroom, which he then locked.

Vitlas allegedly took the office key, opened the office, ransacked it, and stole GH¢1,200 and the deceased’s mobile phone.

The following day, the deceased’s relatives and hospital management searched for the victim but were unsuccessful, so they reported the case to the police.

On March 8, 2023, after a thorough search of all offices, the police discovered that the key to the storeroom could not be found, therefore the door was forcibly opened, and the victim’s body was found in a decomposition state.

Vitlas escaped after committing the crime, but investigations led to his arrest in Koforidua, where he explained how he stole the money, sold the deceased phone in Madina for GH¢150, and left the GH¢1,200 he stole with a friend for safekeeping.

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Hushpuppi’s record seen by Peoples Gazette as part of his memorandum countering sentencing recommendations of prosecutors showed he performed well and related well with other inmates. 

His report card for Central Valley workshop for prisoners showed the Internet fraudster put up “very good” in attitude, quality of work, dependability and productivity between July 2021 when he enrolled and November 2021 when he completed work. 

“He is currently working within his prison cleaning windows and showers—for which he has received great personal evaluations,” Mr Abbas’ lawyer Louis Shapiro wrote in the memorandum submitted on September 5. 

Prosecution and defence have been arguing over the appropriate sentencing for Mr Abbas, who was first arrested in Dubai in June 2020 and summarily transferred to the prison in the U.S. as his trial continued.

While the prosecution led by assistant U.S. attorney Khaldoun Shobaki demanded 11 years in prison and $2.2 million in restitution and fines, Mr Shapiro said his client had become a changed person in prison and should be handed a lighter sentence of about two years in prison. 

Mr Shapiro also said Mr Abbas has three minor children in London, U.S. and Dubai to care for, as well as his ailing parents in Nigeria.

Mr Wright is scheduled to hear the sentencing arguments of the prosecution and defence on September 21 before delivering his judgement in the matter. 

Kofi Amoah, who was to open his defense on Tuesday, admitted having defiled the victim on two occasions, adding that he used condoms while having sex with the victim.

Suspect Amoah, therefore, prayed the court to forgive him.

The court, presided over by Christiana Cann, convicted him on his plea and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment on the charge of defilement.

Prosecuting, Detective Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire, told the court that the complainant is a trader and a mother of the victim.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said the complainant and the victim reside in the same vicinity at Sabon Zongo near Larterbiokoshie in Accra.

The Prosecution said the complainant sells fruits by the roadside and the said place was not far from where Mr Amoah resides.

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The Prosecution said the convict used to buy banana from the complainant and through that he got to know her as well as the victim.

The Prosecution said a few months ago, the complainant detected that Mr Amoah was giving money to the victim so she warned Mr Amoah to desist from coming to her place.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said on October 24, last year, at about 2200 hours, the complainant asked the victim to watch over her fruits while she took her bath.

He said after the complainant had left, the convict came and sat with the victim.

Prosecution said when the complainant returned, she was informed that Mr Amoah had asked the victim to accompany him to buy something.

Chief Inspector Atimbire said the victim followed the convict to a drug store where he bought a pack of condoms.

The Prosecution said the convict asked the victim to accompany him to his sleeping place so he could show her his laptop and a music box and the victim obliged.

He said on their way when they reached the convict’s place, (a book shop), Mr Amoah lured her into it and locked the shop and had sex with the victim.

The prosecution said while in the act, the complainant came and knocked at the door of the convict who in turn hid the victim under a table and used plywood to cover her.

The Prosecution said the convict informed the complainant that the victim had left but the complainant insisted on searching for her in his room and found her under the table.

The prosecution said the complainant apprehended the convict and escorted him to the Police station where a medical report form was issued to the complainant to take the victim to the hospital for medical examination and treatment.

The account, based on the confession of the deceased’s domestic worker and prime suspect, makes it known the motive behind the killing was a robbery gone wrong.

According to the CID, the 29-year-old, in his confession statement admitted to killing the professor when he, together with another person, tried to rob him, but he resisted.

The Director General of the Police CID, COP Ken Yeboah, made this known at a press conference in Accra on Friday.

He said, “Based on forensic evidence gathered from the crime scene, the suspect was subjected to further interrogation and he broke down and confessed that he masterminded the murder of the professor.

“Initially, he mentioned the names of some suspects but he has changed that assertion and mentioned somebody else. He has admitted that he did commit the crime with one other person.“

Explaining how the murder took place, suspect James Nana Womba said he gained access to the room with the aid of a duplicate key he made on the boss’ blind side.

He added after demanding money from Prof Benneh, he declined and proceeded to raise alarm so they hit him with an iron rod.

The cleaner furthermore stated they tied and gagged the defenseless man, which resulted in his death.

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According to the CID, James and his accomplices stole two phones and cash amounting to GHS 450.

The suspect has also confessed that for fear of being recorded in the act, he took the late professors central processing unit (CPU) and dumped it in a septic tank in the house.

According to him, James has also given clues as to where he kept some of the items he stole from the late professor and where he had sold some of them, which he will lead the team for retrieval.

A Class One boy in a school at Tema in the Greater Accra region has been left traumatized after a cleaner in his school sexually abused him.

The seven-year-old boy told Joy News, the incident happened on October 11, 20,18 when the cleaner stripped him naked and lied on top of him.

He inserted his fingers in his anus and also stroked his male organ until he developed bruises. “I tell him that it was painful but he said I am lying”, the boy recounted the experience to Joy News’ Maxwell Agbagba.

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The family told the reporter, the alleged sexual assault has left the boy traumatised.

“The moment he got to the entrance of the school he panicked, he panicked…this is very alarming”, a distraught uncle recalled going back to the school with the boy after the incident.

“This is a 7-year old boy who doesn’t know what is sex”, he expressed shock. The uncle fears, the trauma may redefine the boy’s understanding of sex to mean homosexuality.

The family wants psychological help for their son to “erase” their boy’s worst fears. The alleged defilement points to a growing trend of sexual assault on children.

A Circuit Court in Accra on Tuesday, October 2, 2018, remanded into Police custody, Alex Boateng a cobbler, for allegedly defiling an eleven-year-old girl at Achimota a suburb in Accra.

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Boateng is said to have told the Police that he had sex with the victim on three occasions.

The accused is said to have inserted his finger and manhood into the victim’s anus and vagina

At least three children were defiled daily in Ghana in the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. That is over 1,000 children each year. The figures were contained in the 2017 Criminal Investigations Department Annual Crime Statistics report.

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According to the 2017 Criminal Investigations Department Annual Crime Statistics, 1630 cases of sexual abuse of children were reported in 2015 alone.