Man gets 20 years in prison for the deaths of two Kasoa police officers

Eric Kojo Duah, who is suspected of shooting General Lance Corporal Mohammed Awal and Lance Corporal Michael Dzamesi to death in August 2019 while traveling from Kasoa to Budumburam in Accra, was sentenced to 20 years in jail as part of a plea deal with the State. After initially denying two counts of murder, Kojo Duah chose to enter a guilty plea to manslaughter.

Given this plea, an arrangement with the Republic requested a lesser sentence for manslaughter rather than the more serious accusation of murder. But following his conviction, Judge Marie-Louise Simmons sentenced him to 20 years on each of the two manslaughter convictions. Notably, the court decided that these terms would serve simultaneously, meaning Duah would essentially serve 20 years in prison.

Tuesday, October 31, 2023, Augustine Obour, Duah’s attorney, revealed the previous deals with the state throughout the proceedings. In his petition to the court, he emphasized Duah’s readiness to admit manslaughter rather than murder and that he and the prosecution had mutually agreed upon a ten-year sentence.

Senior State Attorney Nana Ama Prempeh responded by acknowledging the accused’s altered plea and the ensuing agreement. Prempeh underlined the admission of responsibility for the deaths of the two on-duty police officers while highlighting the seriousness of the conduct.

In addition, the court was informed about Duah’s attempts to communicate with the family of the fallen officers, even though no resolution was achieved. After considering the case’s aggravating and mitigating circumstances, the sentencing families filed a lawsuit in response to this testimony. Judge Simmons emphasized the seriousness of the offense and pointed out that Duah had not shown any regret in court. The judge further emphasized the offense’s threat to public safety as well as the accused’s history of moving offenses.

In the end, Eric Kojo Duah was found guilty on all counts of manslaughter and given a 20-year jail sentence, which he will serve consecutively starting on October 31, 2023. The judge expressed her displeasure with the Ghana Police Service’s seeming lack of interest in the case since her tenure began while reiterating the convict’s right to appeal.