Alleged thief lynched at Kofiase

A RESIDENT of Kofiase, near Mampong Ashanti, who allegedly took advantage of the demise of a policeman and stole all his personal belongings, has been lynched by the youth of the town.

The alleged thief, Osei Kwabena, saw his chance to grab a booty when news reached the town that Sergeant B. S . K. Kumordzi of the Kofiase Police Station had died in an accident, as a result of which all the police personnel and their families rushed to the Mampong Hospital to verify the truth, leaving an almost empty barracks.

According to Chief Inspector Kwasi Ofori, Ashanti Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Sergeant Kumordzi, who was stationed at Kofiase, died on the spot, together with six others in an accident last Sunday.

He said as soon as news reached Kofiase that the policeman had died, all police personnel at the station, their spouses and some sympathisers rushed to the Mampong Government Hospital to find out the truth.

He said Osei Kwabena took advantage of the absence of the policemen, sneaked into the barracks and raided the room of Sergeant Kumordzi, taking away all his personal belongings and an unspecified amount of money.

Chief Inspector Ofori said when the theft was detected, the youth decided to investigate and later they found the stolen items with Osei Kwabena.

“Instead of taking him to the police, the youth meted out instant justice to the suspect by lynching him,” he said.

Chief Inspector Ofori expressed concern about the rampant lynching of suspected criminals and said besides the fact that the development impedes police investigations, it could, in many cases, lead to the death of innocent people.