The Medie murder case - IGP petitioned

The chief of Medie, Nii Amponsah Kwao, has petitioned the new Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed Ahmed Alhassan, to revisit the case involving the brutal murder of his son, Christopher Amponsah, and find his killers.

The chief has already petitioned the immediate past IGP Paul Tawiah Quaye over the same issue but nothing seems to have been done, according The Accra Times, hence his decision to bring to the new IGP’s attention the facts surrounding his son’s murder and the alleged involvement of the Amasaman police, led by its commander, to frustrate the process of arresting the perpetrators.

Information received by the newspaper is that Christopher Amponsah was shot at close range by an unknown assassin together with his fiancée Rita Jackson by an unknown in his room on Tuesday 23, October 2012 at about 11:30 pm. However, attempts to have the perpetrators arrested have proved futile and the case seems to have been abandoned.

Information also suggests that the deceased was attacked on several occasions before his death and had allegedly been threatened by his uncle, Offei Ayitey, regarding a court case. The attacks were reported to the police but no arrests were made.

Allegations are that Offei Ayitey, who led the attack, had police backing which has resulted in the death of Christopher Amponsah.

It has also been gathered that Christopher Amponsah, who contested for an assembly member position of the area in the 2010 assembly elections was given severe beatings by the same men who had previously attacked him but he managed to escape and was able to identify one of the men.

However, the Amasaman police instead detained him because there was a bench warrant dated back to 2005 against him, a warrant which this reporter found had been cancelled in the court years ago.

Christopher Amponsah, who had been severely beaten, was kept in police cell from 31st December, 2011 until January 3rd 2012 when he was sent to court before he was set free by the judge.

It has also come to light that on 9th January, 2012, the deceased fiancée’s hairdresser salon and his father’s palace at Medie were set ablaze.

In the evening before the fires, an individual known as Addo confronted Christopher Amponsah's fiancee, known as Hawa, at her salon opposite the palace warning her of her involvement with the deceased. In his own words, he said “for supporting Christopher, you will see something, we will burn your shop and teach you pepper” in Ga.

At about 1.30 midnight, Hawa was woken up by a call from a brother to witness her shop been burnt. The shop was reduced to ashes, whilst the palace was almost burnt down until fire service came along to put out the blaze.

Eyewitnesses pointed hands at Addo for the burning of the shop and the palace. When he was sent to the police station at Amasaman, he confessed to the crime and mentioned Ofei as the brain behind the crime. He allegedly provided the fuel and all the other materials that were used in the plot. The police arrested him and the other suspects, they were bailed upon arrival at the police station and then released.

Checks conducted on the accused persons have revealed that Ofei and all the individuals involved in this crime are all walking about freely, but when the deceased before his death decided to pursue the case, the crime officer allegedly took offence resulting in the transfer of the CID as a result of disagreement between the two over what actions to be taken against Ofei and his boys.

All these developments have made it necessary for Nii Amponsah Kwao to write to the IGP explaining his belief that the Tesano and Amasaman policemen have aided Ofei and his accomplices, considering the attack on him and his sister in 2004, when his sister was shot in her bedroom.

According to Nii Amponsah Kwao: “Around the same time, my bedroom was shot at in the palace with the aim of killing me. When we reported the case to police, the only conclusion they came to after their investigation was that my sister and I shot the gun bullets into our own pillows and made it look like we were been attacked. The case was pursued in the law court for about three years and was made a foolish case.”

He also stated that anytime he reported a crime, he and his son were rather put behind bars for reporting wrong doing against them. “I am reliably informed the crime officer is very much involved with my step brother who I strongly suspect is the brain behind my son’s death," he said.

He called on the new IGP to take a critical look into the matter so as to ensure that justice is done.