16 suspects in Atronie murder remanded

Sunyani, April 12, GNA- A magistrates' court in Sunyani on Thursday remanded in custody 16 persons earlier arrested by the police in connection with the murder of Mr. Anthony Yeboah Boateng, administrator of the Goaso government hospital on Easter Sunday at Atronie, near Sunyani.

The plea of the suspects on the charges of murder and causing damage were not taken and would remain in custody till April 26 this year to assist the police in investigations.

The police has, also arrested forty-eight more suspects including 10 women, in Ntotoroso in the Asutifi district and other locations in a special operation. They are undergoing screening to know those connected with the murder.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, ASP Martin Dephearmaphor, prosecutor, had pleaded with the court presided over by Mr. Albert Zoogah, to remand the accused for two weeks to enable the police to complete their investigations.

The 16 suspects were arrested on Tuesday when the police mounted a barrier on the road to Atronie following the death of the deceased and a check in some vehicles.

The suspects are all residents of the town but had apparently bolted after the incident.

The deceased was pounced on and killed at about 2130 hours on Easter Sunday by some unidentified youth at Atronie as he and his wife and a Roman Catholic Sister were conveying the dead body of his aunt in his private car from Sunyani to be deposited at the Goaso government hospital.

The youth had barricaded the road for a street jam to celebrate the Easter festivities and mistook Mr. Boateng to be an alleged ritual murderer and assaulted him to death.

The two women were saved by a policeman who whisked them to a police station, but not before he had his share of the beatings. Later in a briefing, the Chief Superintendent of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno, Sunyani Municipal Commander, told the GNA that the innocent ones among the 48 other suspects arrested and undergoing screening would be set free.

Those found to be connected would be put before court, the Commander added.

He said they had been placed the suspects in different police cells to avoid interruptions in investigations.