The family of the late Goaso Krontihene, Nana Kwadwo Kumah Yenhyira, also known as Akora Kwadwo, has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of a mortuary attendant, referred to as 'Dada.'
This demand comes in light of allegations that 'Dada' improperly handled the body of the deceased without the required authorization, potentially obstructing the ongoing investigations into the Krontihene's death.
The family's statement sheds light on the critical role of post-mortem examinations, also known as autopsies, in determining the cause of death.
Such examinations are typically conducted in cases of unnatural deaths, which can fall under four main categories: natural, accidental, suicidal, and homicide.
In instances where unnatural causes are suspected, post-mortems are crucial in providing essential information about the circumstances surrounding a person's death.
"...Unfortunately, and very surprising to the family, there is currently, an audio under circulation which purports to confirm the cause of death with "kete" background yet neither the police nor the family have such a postmortem report. In the said audio, a male voice is heard telling one ‘Adwoa’ that our late Krontihene drank poison. The question we ask is, where did this man get such an information which is needed to speed up investigations? We wish to inform the Police service to act swiftly on this said audio. We are as a family trying our best to give much information to the police as to when we get hold of some and wish all to also join to help.
"Another developing story which is sad and worrying in relation to the post-mortem is how the Goaso Government hospital’s Mortuary man or attendant embalmed the body of Nana Kwadwo Kumah Yenhyira’s without the notice of the police, the coroner or our family led by our abusuapanin. A post-mortem examination, also known as an autopsy, is the examination of a body after death. The aim of a post-mortem is to determine the cause of death," parts of the statement said.
“The family expresses deep concern over an audio recording that has been circulating, allegedly confirming the cause of death as poison consumption by the late Krontihene.
“Remarkably, neither the police nor the family possesses a postmortem report that substantiates this claim. The family calls upon the police to swiftly investigate the origin and credibility of this audio recording, as it could potentially provide vital leads in the case. “Moreover, the family raises alarming concerns regarding the actions of 'Dada,' the mortuary attendant at the Goaso Government Hospital,” the statement added.
They contend that 'Dada' embalmed the body of Nana Kwadwo Kumah Yenhyira without notifying the police, the coroner, or the family, which is overseeing the deceased's affairs.
This unilateral action has the potential to compromise the ongoing investigation, as it may erase critical evidence, including potential fingerprints or other forensic clues that could shed light on the circumstances of the attack.
The family insists that the unprofessional conduct of 'Dada' has hindered the investigation into Akora Kwadwo's death.
"The main aim of a post-mortem requested by a coroner is to find out how someone died and decide whether an inquest is needed which is a legal investigation into the circumstances surrounding a person's death and with the calibre of person and experience the mortuary attendant has, this idea should not have escaped him in discharging his duties as expected.
"We as a family wish to draw attention to the fact that, the singular act of the mortuary attendant ‘Dada’ has impeded the investigations going on. His act of even handling the body without proper guidance could erase a lot of evidences including fingerprints of those who we believed attacked him. We therefore call on the Ahafo Regional command of the Ghana Police Service to call for the arrest of ‘Dada’ to aid in investigation which might lead to whoever gave him the order to do whatever he did,” he added.
They are also calling upon the Ahafo Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service to promptly arrest 'Dada' to aid in the investigation, potentially uncovering who may have ordered or influenced his actions.
In addition to the demand for 'Dada's' arrest, the family is urging the Goaso Government Hospital administration to interdict the mortuary attendant.
They believe that his actions were driven by external influences and constituted a cover-up attempt.
The family emphasizes that, in cases of unnatural deaths, investigations fall under the jurisdiction of the Coroner, as defined by the Coroner's Act of 1960.
This Act outlines the role of the Coroner, who is responsible for leading the investigation, with support from the police and a registered medical practitioner.
Importantly, under Section 1(1)(a) of the Act, no one is authorized to handle a body under investigation without express consent from the Coroner.
The family questions whether 'Dada' had obtained such express consent when he initiated his actions.
Conclusively, the family asserts that 'Dada's' actions have potentially violated sections 1(1)(a), 4, and 5 of the Coroner's Act of 1960.
Therefore, they are calling for his immediate arrest and prosecution, emphasizing the need for full adherence to the law in the pursuit of justice in the case of the late Krontihene Akora Kwadwo's death.
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