East Legon accident: Police say suspect release claims are "false"

Social media posts claiming that the 16-year-old suspect in the East Legon accident that killed two people is not being held at the Osu Correctional Center as directed by the court have been denied by the Ghana Police Service.

According to the police, the suspect, the teenage son of well-known preacher Salifu Amoako, was detained at Osu after a court decision on Friday, November 1, 2024, and is still there.

The Police clarified in an official statement that "the teenage suspect was indeed taken to the Osu Correctional Centre as ordered by the court and remains there in detention," calling the allegations making the rounds online "false."

The public was warned that disseminating such false information is illegal under Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which makes it a crime to do so.

Two social media accounts have been identified by authorities as being involved in spreading the false information: a Facebook user called "EmpressPapa A-Amigos" and a TikTok account with the username "prisywanlov1." The Police plan to take the necessary legal steps, and investigations are still underway to identify the people behind these accounts.

"It is extremely regrettable that certain individuals are exploiting this circumstance in an unGhanaian way to attract attention to themselves," the statement continued.

The Police also urged the public to show respect and sensitivity to the grieving families by refraining from sharing unverified information and warned against the spread of false narratives during such a sensitive time.