Murder of Maadwoa: Family in tears as CCTV footage is played in court

It’s almost a year since Victoria Dapaah, also known as Maadwoa, was allegedly killed by a police inspector in Kumasi.

Inspector Ahmed Twumasi, also known as Tycoon, attached to the SWAT Unit of the Ashanti Regional Police Command, is accused of shooting to death the 26-year-old lady at the Kumasi suburb of Adum on April 20, 2023.

Inspector Twumasi, who was present in court despite reports that he had died in custody, has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.

Family members who were in court on Monday April 15, 2024, walked out in tears as a video recording of the police officer allegedly shooting Victoria was played to jurors and lawyers present.

The footage, however, did not capture the horrifying shooting scene.

The court also adopted as evidence a telephone conversation purportedly held between the accused and another woman.

State prosecutors sought to present a caution statement as evidence, which was strongly objected to by the defence lawyers, arguing that the accused person admitted to the content of the statement under duress.

The defence further stated that an independent witness also came in at the time the statement had been taken by the police, a situation they said was procedurally wrong.

But the prosecution reminded the defence counsel that the accused person had opted to speak in his native language, which they argued does not make him illiterate.

Prosecution therefore prayed the court to continue with the trial. 

The objections led to the adjournment of proceedings to May 6, 2024 to allow the court time to consider the legal arguments presented.