The Ofaakor Circuit Court presided over by justice Ebenezer Osei Darko has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the first accused person in the shooting incident that happened over the weekend at Awutu Ofaakor in the Central Region.
The first accused person, Detective Corporal Michael Larbie of the CID headquarters is said to have led a group of individuals who besieged the Awutu Ofaakor Chief’s palace demanding the release of the body of late Akyeamehene Nai Kojo Amoashie over the weekend.
Nine other suspects including Philip Adjei, Abdul Razak, Ibrahim Mumini, Sharif Bukari Isaac Banor, Steven Gbadah alias Dodge, Enock Owusu, Enock Yankey and Steven Jakpata who were also arrested in connection with the crime have been remanded into Police custody and are to reappear on March 24, 2020.
Speaking to Citi News, ASP Alex Oppong Donkor who is the prosecutor in charge of the case indicated that a bench warrant was issued for the arrest of the first suspect because he refused to appear in court.
“We prayed the court for the bench warrant to be issued and it was accepted by the judge. He was supposed to appear before the court and he refused to do so and that is why the bench warrant was issued.”
Shooting incident
The shooting incident happened in the late hours of Friday after members of the Odukpong Ofaakor Chief’s palace and the Asafo company were conducting rituals to bury the Akyeamehene of Odukpong Ofaakor, Nana Kojo Amoashie, who is a royal.
This did not go down well with members of other factions in the palace who allegedly decided to mar the ceremony.
Speaking to Citi News in an interview, Odikro of Kasoa, Nai Darko Ankrah indicated that some individuals entered the palace armed with guns and machetes and demanded that the body be given to them to go and bury but they refused, forcing the group to shoot into the crowd.
“We were in the palace preparing rituals to bury the late Akyeamehene when suddenly some group of individuals armed with guns and machetes entered the palace and demanded that the body be given to them to bury. But we told them that the man is a royal and will be buried according to traditions and customs. This did not go down well with the group who in turn opened fire on the crowd and this injured several others,” Nai Darko Ankrah said.
He added that the group managed to take the body of the late Akyeamehene Nana Kojo Amoashie away.
“After they fired the gunshot, they managed to take the body away. As we speak, I don’t know where the body is,” Nai Darko Ankrah told Citi News.
A victim who was hit by the stray bullet told Citi News he went to the palace only to witness the colourful ceremony but was hit by the bullet.
“I went to the Palace to watch the ceremony and then I heard gunshots but I did not even notice I had been hit until my friend told me I had been hit by a bullet. Suddenly I saw blood coming out and I was rushed to the Kasoa government hospital but was transferred to the Winneba Trauma hospital for treatment,“ the victim who wished to remain anonymous told Citi News.
Source: citinewsroom
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