9 remanded into prison in Akotom murder case
The suspects face charges of conspiracy and murder, but their pleas have not yet been taken. The case is scheduled to resume on Monday, January 6, 2025, under the presiding judge, Mr. Charles Owusu Nsiah.
Nine individuals accused of conspiring to murder a taxi driver, Kwadwo Donkor, have been remanded in prison custody by the Tarkwa Magistrate Court One.
The suspects face charges of conspiracy and murder, but their pleas have not yet been taken. The case is scheduled to resume on Monday, January 6, 2025, under the presiding judge, Mr. Charles Owusu Nsiah.
According to Police Sergeant Enoch Assan Donkor, who presented the facts of the case, the complainant, a businessman from Huniso, employed the deceased, known as "Chilling."
The accused individuals, identified as Nana Kwabena Agyarko (45), Evans Azure (40), Peter Kwamena Antwi (34), Felix Atsu Davor (38), Sampson Agbodojie (30), Kojo Bonzy (72), Stephen Owusu (38), Kofi Ampabeng (38), and Lucky Mudoo (30), include teachers, masons, drivers, and farmers. Apart from Azure, who resides in Camp near Tarkwa, the rest are from Akotom, located along the Tarkwa-Bogoso highway.
On November 8, 2024, Kwadwo left home with his taxi but failed to return after work. Efforts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful, prompting the complainant to report his disappearance to the police the following day. During the investigation, authorities received intelligence that on November 9, 2024, around 4:00 a.m., a suspect identified as Sheriffa, currently at large, spotted Kwadwo near her husband's car in Akotom. She raised an alarm, falsely accusing him of theft.
Her outcry drew the attention of the accused individuals and some local youth, who are still at large. Azure, passing by at the time, provided a rope from his car, which was used to tie Kwadwo to an electric pole. The group then subjected Kwadwo to severe beatings with various objects, leading to his death. Upon realizing he was dead, they transported his body in a tricycle and abandoned it in a bush along the Tarkwa-Bogoso highway, approximately 1.5 kilometers from Akotom.
On November 10, 2024, Agyarko was detained for questioning. Initially denying involvement, he later confessed and implicated Antwi and other accomplices, some of whom remain at large. Agyarko led investigators to the site where Kwadwo's body had been dumped. Despite being in an advanced state of decomposition, the body was recovered.
Subsequent arrests included Azure, who identified Antwi and Davor as participants. The two were apprehended from their hideout. Further police investigations revealed the involvement of the remaining accused individuals, who were subsequently arrested.
During the hearing, the presiding judge urged the police to gather sufficient evidence linking Agbodojie, Bonzy, Owusu, Ampabeng, and Mudoo to the crime. The prosecution assured the court that the roles of these individuals would be clarified at the next hearing.
