Man Dies In Police Custody

The police have debunked claims that a suspect in their custody, Paul Kwadwo Datey died while in cells but his family insists that he died there.

Kwadwo Datey, 40 was said to have died while on detention on Tuesday October 2, a day after his arrest.

According to the family, Datey was arrested on October 1, following reports from one Kennedy Kwesi Akilo and Johnson Sunday, from Kantamanto about a business transaction gone bad.

The reports were that the two men were demanding a refund of GH¢5,800 they had paid to the deceased’s boss for the supply of used clothing.

The supply of the clothing delayed and the two customers became intolerant and caused the arrest of the suspect.

Micheal Omari Wadie, an uncle to the deceased told DAILY GUIDE the suspect was denied bail by police when the family visited the station the following day.

“Three days later, we received information that our relative had died a day before,” he said.

The family has petitioned the Inspector General of Police to investigate the matter.

Giving the genesis of how Datey was arrested and what led to his death, DSP Freeman Tetteh, Greater Accra Regional Police PRO said the complainants reported to the police on October 1, 2012 around 12:30pm, that a year ago, they paid money to Kwadwo Datey and one Paul Ansah to supply them with second hand clothing but the two bolted after receiving the money.

The reports were that the suspects after taking the money gave out their shop to new occupants and left for an unknown destination.

However, the complainants later saw Datey selling at Kantamanto and alerted the police to cause his arrest.

Upon interrogation, Datey allegedly admitted having taken money from the suspects to the tune of GH¢5,800 but added that he gave the money to his boss, Paul Ansah.

Police therefore called Paul on the telephone to report to the station but he also gave an excuse that he was in Tema and would be back an hour later.

Suspect Datey was asked to get a surety to bail him or he would be arraigned before court and he obliged.

Around 6:30pm the following evening, however, according to the police, one Kwame Yeboah arrived at the station with GH¢2,500 to facilitate his bail.

The investigator in charge of the case told the bailer that the commander had left for another assignment and could not sign the papers to facilitate the suspect’s release.

DSP Tetteh said the investigator however went with Kwame Yeboah to inspect his home as was the norm and returned around 8:30pm. Yeboah was subsequently asked to return the following morning to bail the suspect since it was already late.

However around 9:30pm, police personnel from the charge office called the commander on telephone with complaints that the suspect was not feeling well and needed medical attention, he said

The commander instructed that an enforcement team be called from the Nima District Police Station to help since their vehicle had been taken out for patrol duty.

Inspector Baidoo, the in charge of stopper 5 at the Nima Police Station reportedly came in with a police vehicle to convey the suspect to the Police Hospital for treatment, DSP Tetteh explained.

The suspect unfortunately died while receiving treatment at the hospital.

To buttress his claim, DSP Tetteh brought out a hospital folder and card from the Police Hospital which indicated the suspect had been attended to by doctors of the facility.