Chief, 70, commits suicide

Mankessim (CR), Sept 9, GNA - A seventy-year-old year chief of Ayeldu in the Central Region, Nana Odzeabaa III shot himself dead with a pistol at the early hours of Tuesday at his residence at Mankessim.

Nana Odzeabaa, known in private life as Mark Davis was for a long time an accountant with a firm in the United States of America.

Mr Frank Ennin, Deputy Superintendent of Police in charge of Saltpond District told the Ghana News Agency that the police could not find any evidence to prove the cause of the chief's action.

He said police found the body in a pool of blood at the entrance of his room with a locally made pistol lying by its side.

A copy of the Holy Bible opened at Psalm 100, was lying on a centre table behind the body, he said.

Mr Kwesi Davis, the deceased's younger bother, his wife, Madam Dora Jones, and Mr Stephen Akwah, Assemblyman for Ayeldu told Ghana News Agency that the chief was a "man of substance" and there was little evidence of anything worrying him.

Madam Jones said she obtained permission from her late husband to attend a funeral at Enyan Denkyira and said it was there that she received "the sad news".

Mr Davis said the family was engaged in a land dispute with some people from Kwamankese but could not fathom whether such a dispute could have motivated his brother's suicide.

The body has been deposited at the Central Regional Hospital mortuary in Cape Coast for autopsy, while police investigations continue.