Committee appeals for investigation into alleged murder

Suhum (E/R), Sept. 7, GNA - The Unit Committee at Adakwa, a farming village near Suhum in the Eastern Region, has appealed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate the death of a 44-year-old palm wine tapper allegedly murdered by his uncle.

The deceased, Emmanuel Tei Ashiatey, popular called "Adakwa Burger", was allegedly murdered by his uncle, Joseph Kumah, for stealing cocoyam on his farm.

Mr Samuel Tetteh Okrah, spokesman for the Unit Committee also appealed to the IGP to order the exhumation of Ashiatey's body, allegedly buried without post-mortem examination. Making the appeal through the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Adakwa on Monday, Mr Okrah said the appeal had become imperative in view of the circumstances surrounding the death, adding that even though the suspected uncle of the deceased was arrested, the exhumation and the post-mortem was necessary to establish the cause death. According to him, the deceased and the uncle lived at Adakwa and that the deceased's mother died two years ago and her land was entrusted to the uncle to cultivate so that he would share the farm produce with the deceased.

He said since the uncle took over the land, he never shared any of the produce with the deceased.

He further told the GNA that six months ago, the deceased harvested cocoyam from the farm to the displeasure of the uncle, who beat him and later reported him to the Amankrado of the village.

Mr Okrah said on the August 3, this year, the deceased went to the farm again to harvest cocoyam and the uncle, who was then on the farm, beat him and left him unconscious on the farm.

He alleged that when the deceased regained consciousness, he went home but was not seen again until his body was discovered in his room in a pool of blood.