A retired military officer and a pastor have been sentenced to prison for their roles in the death of a man over a counterfeit GH¢50 note. The High Court in Accra found Joseph Abusah and Benjamin Kofi Agbetiafah guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy following a jury trial that revealed the tragic circumstances surrounding the case.
The incident stemmed from an exchange that occurred on March 1, 2018, when Solomon Dapaah, the deceased, purchased a soft drink from a shop owned by Agbetiafah’s mother. After Dapaah paid with a GH¢50 note, the shopkeeper suspected it was fake and raised an alarm after he had left. Abusah and Agbetiafah pursued Dapaah in a pickup truck, ultimately forcing him to stop.
Upon confronting Dapaah, a struggle ensued, during which the two men assaulted him, resulting in severe injuries. Despite efforts to take him to the local police station for help, Dapaah was pronounced dead upon arrival at a nearby clinic. A post-mortem examination later confirmed that he died from severe head injuries sustained during the altercation.
During the trial, the prosecution emphasized the gravity of the defendants’ actions, arguing that their decision to lynch Dapaah was both unlawful and unjustifiable. The jury delivered a unanimous verdict on the manslaughter charge and a 5-2 decision on the conspiracy charge.
Following the verdict, the presiding judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, imposed a six-month prison sentence for each count, to be served concurrently. She acknowledged the mitigating factors presented by the defense, including the convicts’ lack of prior offenses and their consistent attendance in court since their arrest. The judge noted the importance of ensuring that justice was served not only for the defendants but also for the family of the deceased and the wider community.
The case, which has lingered for nearly nine years, has highlighted issues related to mob justice and the consequences of taking the law into one’s own hands. The court’s decision aims to deter similar future incidents and uphold the rule of law in society.
