3 policemen, others in Seikwa killing remanded

Three policemen allegedly involved in the beatings and killing of a suspect at the Seikwa Police Station in the Bono Region last week were yesterday remanded in police custody by the Sunyani Circuit Court B to prevent them from interfering with ongoing investigations into the matter.

The court, presided by Jojo Amoah Hagan, also remanded three other suspects.

All six, preliminarily charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder, are to reappear in court on May 11, this year.

They are Chief Inspector Eric Aforo, General Corporal William Akussung and General Constable Ebenezer Akuffo, all stationed at the Seikwa Police Command; Mr Ofori Emmanuel Kingsford, branch manager of Nafana Rural bank, Aaron Abbey and Reuben Obeng w their accomplices.

Prosecuting, Superintendent Joseph Akpaloo said on April 16, 2021, around 6 p.m., Mr Ofori, together with Abbey and  Obeng, arrested Abu Bakhari Bahala, now deceased, for causing damage to the windscreen of Mr Ofori’s car.

He said the suspects subjected him to severe beatings before handing him over to the police. 

Supt Akpaloo said at the police station, General Constable Akuffo, together with the three accomplices, again severely beat Bahala before he was handcuffed to a metal bar behind the counter.

Supt Akpaloo continued that General Corporal Akussung, who was not on duty, came to the station to assist his colleagues  on duty to contain Bahala, who, they claimed, was behaving violently in the cell.

He told the court that the following day, around 12p.m., Bahala collapsed in the police cell and was rushed to the Seikwa Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Supt Akpaloo said when the station Officer, Chief Inspector Eric Aforo, was informed about the case, he directed that the deceased be buried because he had no known relative in the town.

However, later, they went and exhumed the body when the secret burial became public.

A postmortem conducted by Dr Ernest Adjei on the body confirmed that Bahala did not die a natural death but died as a result of injury suffered in the chest and bleeding trauma among other causes, Mr Akpaloo told the court.

He, therefore, pleaded with the court not to grant bail to the accused persons on the grounds that they might interfere with the ongoing investigation into the matter.

The presiding judge heeded the pleas and remanded all six in police custody.

FROM DANIEL DZIRASAH, SUNYANI