Killer Landlord Charged!

The landlord who shot and killed his tenant at Ofankor Spot M in the Greater Accra Region over rent issues has appeared before the Abeka District Court in Accra.

The accused, Victor Steve Nana Kankam is suspected to have shot and killed his tenant Benjamin Okyere for allegedly refusing to move out of a 2 bedroom apartment following the expiration of his rent.

Victor has been slapped with a provisional charge of murder.

The accused prior to court proceedings yesterday had told the Police that he shot and killed Benjamin in self-defence.

Court

Appearing in court yesterday, the accused who was without lawyers was remanded into police custody pending further investigations to reappear on June 8, 2020.

The Trial Magistrate, Mrs. Adwoa Achaamaa Ofosu urged the state to test the accused for COVID-19.

Scores of family members and sympathizers who thronged the court hurled insults at the suspect accusing him of killing their relative for nothing.

The facts of the case as presented by prosecutor, Stephen Ahialey are that Benjamin until his death was a musician while the accused is also into Real Estate business and lives at Ofankor Spot M.

He said the deceased was a tenant to Victor and that Benjamin rented the apartment of the accused for two years which tenancy agreement expired on May 24, 2020.

The prosecutor said Benjamin opted for a renewal of the tenancy which victor accepted but later changed his mind and asked the deceased to vacate his room.

He said the accused persistently continued pressurizing Benjamin to vacate the room and hand over the keys to him.

The prosecution noted in the afternoon of May 24, Victor took his pump gun, hired a taxi and went to the place of abode of the deceased.

Shooting

“He alighted and took his weapon and the taxi driver drove away. He called him at the gate to hand over the room keys to him. The deceased having known the behavior of the accused called one John Bossco Kontah on his phone and invited him to his place” the police officer stated.

The court further heard that when Bossco arrived and saw Victor with a gun he got scared and also rushed into the room for his phone to call a police friend for assistance, by then Victor was at the gate with the deceased.

The prosecutor said “without ant provocation from the deceased, accused person opened fire and shot the deceased four times at close range, inflicting multiple gunshot wounds on him. Bossco heard the gunshots and came out to see Victor escaping and chased him but was afraid and returned to attend to the deceased.”

Bossco according to the prosecution called for assurance and rushed Benjamin to Anceja Hospital at Tantra Hill also in Accra and was later brought to the Achimota Mile 7 Police Station where a complaint was lodged.

Benjamin was later rushed to the Police Hospital where he died. Four spent shells of AA cartridges    was retrieved at the scene of crime.

Victor was subsequently arrested at his residence at Spot M at Ofankor.

During a search in his room the police found two pump action guns with numbers To51248, To51237 loaded with seven and eight rounds of cartridges and 42 live cartridges.