Wilkado Hotel reacts to media reports on pool incident

Lawyer for Wilkado Hotel, the hospitality facility in Tadzewu that was reported in sections of the media as being linked to the unfortunate death of one Christian Matamawoe, has sought to clarify some false information and inaccuracies that the said publication carried.

Here below is the full press statement issued by EVANS GADETO DJIKUNU, ESQ. Lawyer for Wilkado Hotel, Tadzewu.

Below is the full statement

10th July 2015

PRESS STATEMENT BY LAWYERS FOR MANAGEMENT OF WILKADO HOTEL OF TADZEWU IN REACTION TO MEDIA PUBLICATIONS WHICH SOUGHT TO LINK THE SAID HOTEL TO THE UNFORTUNATE DEATH OF ONE CHRISTIAN MATANAWOE IN ITS SWIMMING POOL ON 25TH MAY, 2015

The above refers. We act as lawyers for Wilkado Hotel Ltd of Tadzewu in the Ketu North District of the Volta Region in the Republic of Ghana and on whose behalf we write.

We have the instructions of the management of Wilkado Hotel Ltd., our client herein to respond to recent media publications which sought to link the untimely death of one Christian Matanawoe in the swimming pool of the said hotel, with particular reference to the account published in the Ghanaian Times dated 30th June, 2015 and the Daily Guide newspaper dated 8th July 2015 and the like, as the same are replete with outright falsehoods and inaccuracies deliberately calculated to tarnish the business image of the said hotel and its management, and also to mislead the general public.

Our client instructs further that, the following facts as reported in the said media publications are wholly untrue:

1. That the deceased was a guest in the said hotel for two days;

2. That the deceased got missing during the day and was later found in the swimming pool at 5 pm dead;

3. That thorough examination of the body of the deceased showed no sign of drowning;

4. That there were “signs of violence, with cuts on the neck and shoulders, after the body had been retrieved from the swimming pool”;

5. That “the perpetrators might have drained his blood for ritual purposes;

6. That “the hotel and the police did not involve the family when the body was transferred to the Police Hospital in Accra” ; and

7. That the Dzodze police have sidelined the family of the deceased in their investigations into the matter.

It is the case of our client that, on Sunday 24th May 2015, the deceased was among a group of people who had attended a funeral in the area and had come to the pool for swimming from between 7am and 6pm. Thus, the swimming pool was closed to the general public at 6pm on that day after its use by the said group of people.

Our client states further that, subsequently the pool attendants opened the place to have it thoroughly cleaned for the following day’s event, which was the A.U. public holiday.

Thus, between 6 and 7am, the following day (i.e Monday 25th May) whilst preparing the place for the day’s event, the hotel’s pool attendants discovered that there was a lifeless body in the said pool.

We are again instructed that, officials of the hotel quickly lodged a complaint with the Tadzewu police and later the Dzodze police who called all the guests in the hotel to identify the body of the deceased. It was during the said identification that one of the guests of the hotel revealed to the police that the deceased was his brother and that he was lodging with him in the hotel without the knowledge of management of Wilkado Hotel, our client.

Accordingly, the family of the deceased was immediately informed and they subsequently provided a vehicle for the body to be deposited at the St. Anthony Hospital at Dzodze for autopsy and preservation. However, the police took photographs of the deceased whilst the body was in the swimming pool and also after they had removed same from the pool after preliminary investigations.

Our client says that, at all material times, the police did not find any mark of injury or cut or any evidence of violent act on the deceased after a thorough examination of the body in the presence of the family members and the officials of the hotel.

Further, at the St. Anthony Hospital at Dzodze, before the examination of the body of the deceased, the doctor in charge at the time the body was brought to the said hospital, requested three representatives, one from the management of the Wilkado Hotel (Mr. William Nutsuakor) and two from the deceased’s family – one Mr. Seth Awaworyi and Gatsi to be present during the said examination. The said Seth Awaworyi is believed to be the head of the deceased’s family. After the preliminary medical examinations by the doctor, he emphatically told the said representatives from both sides in the presence of others that there was no foul play as regards the death of the deceased, and that his preliminary finding was that the deceased’s death was consistent with drowning. This is a fact that is verifiable and anyone who doubts same can easily cross check its veracity at the St. Anthony Hospital at Dzodze. For the records, the body of the deceased was first deposited at the said hospital on Monday 25th May, 2015 after preliminary investigations by the Dzodze police.

Besides, officials of the hotel who were present at the scene were asked to give statements to the Dzodze police, and that investigations are still underway.

In the meantime, officials of the Wilkado Hotel were never informed by the police of their decision to convey the body from the St. Anthony Hospital to the Police Hospital in Accra. That was entirely at the discretion of the Dzodze police. It is unfortunate that the impression is being created in the media as though management of the said hotel was involved in conveying the body of the deceased from St. Anthony Hospital, Dzodze to the Police Hospital in Accra.

In addition, we have an autopsy report from the police Hospital dated 27th May, 2015 and signed by one Dr. L. Edusei which states clearly that the cause of death of the deceased hereinbefore mentioned is consistent with drowning and the family is very much aware of this report but rather chose to peddle absolute falsehood to mislead the general public and tarnish the business image of our client with the active support of some media houses. We attach hereto a copy of the said autopsy report for ease of reference.

And besides, there is no record at the hotel that the deceased was a guest of the hotel and we challenge the family to produce any evidence to support their claim.

Further, and for the records, at all material times, there was no occasion that any person or group of persons lodged any complaint with the management of the Wilkado Hotel regarding the missing of any person in the said hotel.

Pursuant to our instructions, we hereby demand that any media house that is interested in publishing any story regarding this unfortunate event in reference ought to be circumspect, and do thorough investigations into this matter, by contacting the deceased family, management of Wilkado Hotel and the police to avoid any legal action by our client against the said person or media house as the distorted nature of the facts as published by some of the media houses clearly show that the said publications were actuated by malice or mischief.

By reason of the aforesaid, we have further and peremptory instructions to issue the necessary legal process against any media house that seeks to mislead the general public in a bid to defame the reputation of management of Wilkado Hotel Ltd or impugn its integrity in the highly competitive hospitality business.

You are advised accordingly.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

EVANS GADETO DJIKUNU, ESQ.

Lawyer for Wilkado Hotel, Tadzewu

For: HAYIBOR, DJARBENG, DANSO & CO.

cc: The Managing Director

Wilkado Hotel

Tadzewu

ii: All Media Houses.