After 3 years of standing trial for the alleged murder of 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah Abdalla, the High Court in Accra is expected to make a decision on the two accused teenagers today May 7.

On March 14, the Court presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo informed both Prosecution and Defence lawyers that, the court will do a summing up of the proceedings today after which the jury will return their verdict.

The trial of the two teenagers started in 2021 after it emerged that, they allegedly killed Ismael, their 10 year old friend for money rituals. The two boys were arrested on April 4, 2021 and arraigned before the Ofaakor district court on April 7, 2021 and later transferred to the Kaneshie District Court in August 2021 following an advice by the then Chief Justice Kwasi Anin Yebaoh for an expeditious trial.

At the Kaneshie District court, the first accused made a shocking confession that they killed a pregnant woman in Kasoa prior to the gruesome killing of the 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah Abdallah. However the second accused denied his involvement.

The first accused also detailed events that led to the killing of the young boy.

He stated that the idea of money rituals stemmed from watching a TV advert featuring a woman claiming increased wealth through a 5,000 cedis (GHC 5,000) investment. He said he told his accomplice (2nd Accused) about the advert and when they called, a woman confirmed what he had seen on television and promised to make them rich.

The said fetish priestess, Charity Mensah alias Nsuo Hemaa at the center of the case was arrested but was later released after the Police said that, they found no relation between her and the two teens.

The case was again transferred to the High court in Accra in 2022 after the Kaneshie District Court committed them to stand murder trial.

The Prosecution called 7 witnesses to testify after including father of the deceased. Two of the witnesses, a pathologist at the Police Hospital Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dr. Osei Owusu- Afriyie and the investigator in the case, Chief Inspector Isaac Asiedu Odei testified that, the deceased was buried alive.

At the High court in Accra presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, the first accused admitted they committed the crime insisting the second accused was his accomplice however, the second accused denied his involvement during his testimony. He pleaded with the court to conduct a forensic test on the exhibits presented by the Prosecution to verify his innocence.

The fate of these two teenage boys will be determined today at the Criminal Division of the High in Accra.