Palm wine taper puts poison in drink and kills three children

Dunkwa-on-Offin (C/R), April 24, GNA - The Dunkwa-On-Offin

Circuit Court has remanded a 35-year-old palm wine taper, Yaw

Joshua, for allegedly putting poison into his palm wine that led to the

death of three children. His plea was not taken and he will reappear on May 21. Detective Inspector William Baffuor told the court that on April

18 the mother of the children, Mrs. Martha Gyawo, went to farm

with her two children and a grandson - Gabriel Gyamfi, 12, Steven

Marfo, 12, and Naomi Gyamfi, 15. He said the woman and her children had to cross a river before

going to the farm but as custom demanded that no woman in her

menstrual period should cross the river, she asked Naomi, who was

in her period, and the other two to use the foot path. Detective Inspector Baffuor said she left the children and returned

home but the children never showed up. He said while at home she had information that her children were

lying helpless on the path. They were taken to the hospital where

they were pronounced dead. An autopsy report showed that the children died of a liquid

substance containing poison. The police arrested Joshua because he had been complaining that

people had been stealing his palm wine and warned that if it

continued he would poison his palm wine to kill anyone who stole

his wine. Detective Inspector Baffuor said a sample of the palm wine had

been taken to the laboratory to test if it contains a poisonous

substance.