West Hills Mall murder: Shop manager charged for killing 33-year-old man with taser freed

Shop Manager of Max Buy Ghana Limited, dealers of electrical Appliances within the West Hills Mall, Boafo Osei Kwame, has been discharged (freed) by the Sowutuom District Court for murder.

This was upon the advice of the Attorney General’s Department after autopsy results following an incident that happened on January 30, earlier, this year.

The accused was freed by Magistrate Stephen Tebiri after the Police Prosecutor Inspector MK Kwakye had told the Court that, per a fiat from the AG’s department, the accused was to be discharged.

Postmortem report revealed that Shadrach Arloo, 33, (deceased) died from “Asphyxiation and obstruction of airway by a foreign body.”

Boafo Osei Kwame was arrested on January 30 and was on a provisional charge of murder after he was alleged to have used a Taser to shock Arloo, leading to his death.

Following the post-mortem examination and the cause of death known, the Attorney General’s Office per a fiat advised that the accused be discharged.

The Magistrate His Worship Stephen Tebiri discharged him after the Police Inspector MK Kwakye had told the Court that, “the fiat says accused should be discharged.”

EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, reports that the accused was discharged as far back as July 20, 2023, upon a follow-up at the Court.

The Defence lawyers were led by Andrew Kudzo Vortia.

Brief facts

Per the brief facts of the case put before the court, the complainant is Bernard Boanor Denkyi, an Operations Manager at West Hills Mall located at Weija while the accused Boafo Osei Kwame is also the Shop Manager of Max Buy Ghana Limited, dealers of Electronical Appliances also located within the West Hills Mall.

The prosecution said on January 30, 2023, Police Sergeant Daniel Abeiku stationed at the Visibility Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Headquarters detailed to perform duties at the mall, was patrolling the mall when he saw Shadrach Arloo, 33, now deceased, and Ibrahim Seshi, a witness in the case with a backpack at their back.

It said, the deceased and the witness’ movement at the mall became suspicious and the Police Sergeant called the deceased for him to search his backpack.

The prosecution said, “The deceased opened the backpack, removed something wrapped in a black polythene back from the backpack and put in his back pocket, and started running outside.”

It said “The policeman pursued the deceased and got him arrested.

The deceased struggled with the policeman when he was being handcuffed and in the process, he removed the wrapped polythene bag from his back pocket and swallowed it.

“The accused person who also saw the incident rushed to the serene and removed his personal Taser and shocked the deceased.”

It said, “The deceased fell unconscious as a result and was rushed to the Somotech hospital within the Mall for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival by the medical doctor on duty.”

The brief facts stated that the “accused was arrested and Taser retrieved from him” and “During the interrogation, the accused stated that he brought the Taser for self defence.”

The prosecution stated that “the body of the deceased was carefully inspected but no physical marks of assault were found.”

“The body was later removed and deposited at the Police Hospital for preservation and autopsy. Investigation ongoing” the court was informed.