Fallout From Serial Killer's Arrest

Two informants who claim they tracked Charles Quansah a.k.a. Paapa Kwabena Ebo, the self-confessed 'serial' murderer and leaked information that led to his arrest are demanding compensation from the Police Service.

Apart from the compensation, the two, Alhassan Mohammed Teena and C.K. Dwomoh are sad that the Police have attributed the arrest of the suspect to their own vigilance and "assistance from the American Federal Bureau of Investigation".

Alhassan Mohammed Teena and C.K. Dwomoh, both residents of Madina Zongo and Adenta, say they hunted and effected the arrest of the murder suspect.

In an interview with The Accra Mail, they said they are entitled to the ?50 million reward that the government promised to anyone who would give information leading to the arrest of the criminals behind the killing of women.

In December, the number of women who were killed reached 34 and this gave credence to general fear that a serial killing gang was in operation. The bodies of all the half-naked women were each found in similar circumstances.

Teena told The Accra Mail that somewhere in February 2001, Agyei Kwadwo, an apprentice of Dwomoh who is a carpenter and friend of his informed him that his girlfriend, Joyce had been murdered and that he needed his advice on the issue.

"I suggested that he should report to the Madina police immediately because they may be looking for him to give information on his last meeting with the deceased.

"When we reported at the police station and informed the police about our mission they arrested and detained Kwadwo on suspicion that he knew about the murder of Joyce.

"During interrogation, Kwadwo told the Madina police that Joyce had informed him the previous day that she was going out with a gentleman in search of accommodation at Dansoman, a suburb of Accra." According to him, the police put pressure on them to produce the mystery man who went out with Joyce, saying until they produced the murder suspect their friend Kwadwo would not be released.

With pressure on them "Kwadwo gave a brief description of a hairy mystery man of average height as was described to him by his girlfriend before she was killed. Kwadwo's master, Dwomoh and I (Teena) decided to track down and arrest the man, based on the description and the area he resides.

2Initially we organised some boys in the area and paid them some money to help us to track the hairy man who drives a Kia truck but they were afraid and offered no help."

Teena said they first went to the house of the suspect and did a quick investigation about him to be sure that the hairy truck driver resides there.

"We finally developed a strategy for the assignment and placed the house under surveillance for three days until we got him. Our first all-night surveillance proved futile. The second night did not yield any result and our hope of getting him started fading.

"On the third night at the suspect's house I (Teena) decided to go home while Dwomoh remained.

"I was in bed around 5 a.m. when Dwomoh phoned me that he had seen a man who fitted the description of the hairy man in the house.

"I jumped out of bed and drove to the Madina police station and informed the police about our findings. They gave me two armed police escorts and we drove towards the house. Throughout the operation I kept in touch with Dwomoh by mobile. It was like a Hollywood scene.

"The whole operation was conducted smoothly as if it was rehearsed. When we entered the house Quansah was about to go and pick pawpaw from a farm to the port for export.

"The police moved into action and effected his arrest. They asked if he knew about Joyce, and he replied in Fante that he did not know the lady they were talking about.

"He was bundled into my car together with one armed police officer, and his mate was put in his Kia truck and accompanied by the other police escort.

"Quansah initially told the police he did not know Joyce and has never met her before. He finally confessed that he knew Joyce who once mended his torn shirt for which he paid her ?2,000.

"The police at Madina forwarded the case to the Police Headquarters where Quansah was put in the same cell as Kwadwo.

"Since the two did not know each other, Quansah told his cell mate (Kwadwo) that he will maintain his silence and tell the police that he knew virtually nothing about the murder of Joyce.

Kwadwo later informed the police about the statement that Quansah had made and this gave the investigators more cause to investigate his criminal past. The police gathered enough information on Quansah and were able to map out his movement from Kumasi to Dansoman, Mataheko, and Madina as well as his conviction for sex offences in 1986 and 1987," he concluded.

After the police pieced the information on the suspect, the evidence pointed to Quansah as the possible murderer of some women in Accra and Kumasi.

Reacting to the police statement on the arrest of Quansah, Dwomoh said he was amazed at the statement crediting the FBI and the police with the arrest of Quansah.

"What the police are saying is not true. We did the job and now they want to take the credit. They did not even mention our scary involvement in the arrest of Quansah.

A police source at the Homicide Unit explained that the police cannot just splash their money on anyone who claims to have given the lead for the arrest of Quansah. He said people would have to be properly identified before compensation can be paid. The source advised Ghanaians as a matter of patriotism to put the monetary reward behind them and release credible information that would lead to the arrest of those still at large.