Policeman shoots suspect to death

Atuna (B/A), May 08, (Credit Adu Simon/Solomon Naambir) GNA - Mr Kofi Tizaala, a 68-year-old farmer of Charia, near Wa in Upper West Region has appealed to the Inspector General of Police for thorough investigations into how two policemen stationed at Wenchi in Brong-Ahafo shot his 35-year-old son to death at Atuna in Wenchi District. Mr Tuana Sarborgou, a younger brother of the deceased, told GNA at Atuna that Noyeni was shot dead on Thursday, April 24.

He said at about 0300 hours on that day the two armed policemen came to their house with a settler farmer, called Zistus Dagarti, who also held a gun.

They wanted to arrest his brother following a complaint by Zistus. Mr Sarbogou said he pleaded with the policemen to return to Wenchi and assured them that he would bring the late brother later that morning since it was dawn.

He said he saw the policemen and the complainant off and went back to bed.

He heard some noise and when he came out of his room he saw the two policemen and the complainant with their guns ready and one policeman was holding the deceased by the hand.

The deceased's brother said he heard a gunshot and saw the brother collapse to the ground with blood gushing out of the chest. The policemen and the complainant then fled the scene, leaving behind a pair of handcuffs, three bullets and the pellet that penetrated the chest of the deceased and a three-battery flashlight.

Mr Sarborgou said later seven armed policemen arrived in a land-rover and met the Dagaaba and Waala chiefs in the area. The police officers told them some junior officers from the Wenchi station had caused "some mess" by killing a suspect, hence they had come to convey the corpse to the morgue for autopsy and further investigations.

Mr John M. Formedi, Chief Superintendent in-charge of Wenchi Police, said the two policemen had been sent to the Regional Police Command in Sunyani together with the docket on the case. An inquiry at the Regional Command in Sunyani by GNA later revealed that the two policemen had already been arraigned before court that remanded the one who fired the fatal shot.