Prampram Blood Cries For Justice: Four Years On, Attorney-General Stalls Murder Trials Linked To Chieftaincy Crisis

— Six Kingmaker Killings, No Convictions; Families Warn Of Unrest As Suspects Walk Free

Four years after the gruesome murder of Prampram kingmaker Nene Ayeh Otusei Krom II, Ghana’s justice system stands accused of abandonment. Despite arrests, court appearances and public assurances, the Attorney-General’s Department has failed to commence substantive prosecution, leaving yet another high-profile murder case mired in delay and deepening fears of selective justice.

The late family head of the Kley Tsokunya Clan was killed on October 26, 2021, in what many describe as a calculated assassination linked to Prampram’s protracted chieftaincy conflict. Yet nearly half a decade later, the case has not been heard at the Criminal High Court, and no clear roadmap to justice has been communicated to the bereaved family or the public.

Nine suspects, including the embattled Chief of Prampram, Nene Tetteh Wakah, were initially arrested and arraigned before the Kaneshie Magistrate Court. Subsequent amendments by state prosecutors reduced the number of accused persons to five, with the case transferred to the Accra High Court (Criminal Division).

The matter was slated for hearing at Criminal High Court 2 in October 2025. That date passed without proceedings, explanation or accountability, fueling growing suspicion that the case is being quietly allowed to wither.

The killing of Nene Ayeh Otusei Krom II brought the number of unresolved murders of traditional leaders and kingmakers in Prampram to six including that of the 2018 gruesome murder of the Mankralo of Prampram, Nene Atsure Benta III. None has resulted in a final judgment.

For families of the deceased, the pattern is chilling.
“How many kingmakers must die before the State acts?” a family elder asked.

Relatives of the slain kingmaker say the Attorney-General’s Office has shown little urgency compared to other nationally prominent cases.

Mr. Samuel Ayeh, a family member, questioned why the State failed to ensure the scheduled October court hearing took place.

“We see swift prosecutions elsewhere. Why is Prampram different? Are our dead less deserving of justice?” he asked.

The family insists it will resist any attempt to allow the case to fade, as has happened with previous killings in the town.

Beyond grief, fear is now taking hold. Families argue that individuals repeatedly named in violent chieftaincy disputes should not be freely circulating in the community while murder trials stagnate.

Some traditional elders warn that Prampram, historically volatile during the yuletide season, could slide back into unrest if justice continues to stall, especially amid reports that families of slain kingmakers are preparing demonstrations.

Traditional authorities and affected families are issuing a direct appeal to the Inspector-General of Police, the Chief Justice, and the Attorney-General to urgently fast-track all Prampram-related murder cases, warning that continued inertia threatens both public safety and national confidence in the rule of law.

As the blood of kingmakers remains unanswered, the Prampram cases have become a defining test of Ghana’s justice system, whether it can confront power, tradition and discomfort, or whether justice will continue to bow to silence.

For now, one truth remains stark: justice delayed in Prampram is justice denied.