Dutch authorities secretive about Ghanaian's death

Allan Koomson custody Dutch authorities Dutch police Ghana illegal alien immigration stay permit the Netherlands

Cecilia Ankrah is crossed and sad. She wants to know the truth about the death of her brother, Allan Koomson. The Dutch authorities are not giving anything away. Without answers, she cannot mourn his death. A week before he died, it seemed that everything was still going well.

Cecilia was regularly in contact with her brother. Even when Allan was arrested as an illegal alien in the Netherlands in December 2009. But since then, phone conversations were kept short: Allan Koomson was not allowed to speak long. However, it seemed he was keeping well. If it is the case that he was sick, he never mentioned it to her. Not even during their last conversation on February 14, a week before he died.

No visa

At the age of 53, Koomson died on February 21 in a Dutch hospital, where he was being taken care of after falling sick in his cell. His family was informed of it shortly after his death. According to Cecilia, she was told by the Dutch authorities that she could collect his personal belongings in Amsterdam. And that she could consult the autopsy at the same time.

However, it did not get that far. Cecilia who lives in the UK did not get a visa to go to the Netherlands. On top of that, the Dutch authorities has refused to provide her with further information on the cause of her brother’s death. And she still does not have his personal belongings.

Cellmate

The only bribe of information regarding her brother’s last days came from his cellmate at the time of his detention. The latter who is also Ghanaian, phoned Cecilia sometime after Koomson’s death.

“He told me that at some point my brother was sick but that he did not receive any treatment. And that it was only following protests from his cellmates that they gave him attention.”

In the meantime, the cellmate was himself released by the Dutch authorities. Just before that he was asked by Allan to call his sister to give her news about him. “He learned that Allan died and asked me what had happened after he collapsed in his cell.”

Twenty years

Up to now Cecilia does not have an answer to that. What she knows is that prior to his death Allan has lived for twenty years in the Netherlands. He was married and legal. He was working in a hotel.

The marriage came to an end in 2007 and since then the troubles with his stay permit began to surface. Cecilia is not aware of the details. What she does know is that up to the day he was arrested in December 2009, he was still working. She says that he was still in good health then.

Compensation

She is still battling with her brother’s sudden death despite him being in good health. It is for the same reason that Cecilia and her family back home in Ghana refuse to receive any form of compensation from the Dutch authorities.

“We cannot accept any compensation as long as we don’t know what they are for.”

The Koomsons’ has acquired the services of a lawyer to throw some light on this intriguing story.