Coroner’s inquest on Atta Mills’ death will lay matters to rest - Asamoah Boateng

The Minister of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, has supported calls for a coroner's inquest into the death of late President J.E.A. Mills in 2012, citing the absence of an autopsy report at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), graphic.com.gh reports.

According to the minister, a thorough inquiry is essential to address discrepancies surrounding the former president's death and guide future protocols for handling such incidents involving state dignitaries.

Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, January 24, Mr. Asamoah Boateng expressed concern about the lack of documentation at the AMA, contradicting claims by a sibling of the late President Mills.

He emphasized the importance of setting the record straight, stating, “President Mills was the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, and his death should not be treated lightly.”

The minister clarified that a coroner's inquest is not a trial but an investigative process to determine the actual events surrounding the late president's death.

“I will support a coroner’s inquest into the death of Mills for the records to be set straight and for us to have as a guide, how we handle such incidents if they ever occurred again. Nobody will be put on trial. It is for us to know how the system works,” he said.

Mr. Asamoah Boateng's comments followed an appeal by the maternal family of late President Mills to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for assistance in obtaining the autopsy report.

The minister questioned the validity of claims that a copy of the report was lodged with the AMA and stressed the need for transparency in revealing the facts surrounding the case.

“Closure has not been brought to the issue. People have called for a coroner's inquest; I won’t go there, but if that is what the people want, so be it,” he concluded.

NAY/OGB