2 COPS IN LIBERTY CASE (MIRROR, PAGE 27, MARCH 13, 2010)

From Joe Okyere, Assin Fosu

Two policemen have been placed in custody for allegedly compromising their position by collecting money from an accused person in a murder case.
This came to light when seven accused persons appeared before the Assin Fosu Magistrate’s Court, which was presided over by Mr. Justice Joseph Blay.
Kobina Yakubu, a farmer at Assin Atwereboanda, and six others who are facing a charge of conspiracy to commit murder, told the court that he sold his palm trees and paid GH¢150 to an Inspector to avoid being arrested.
The others are Dan De-Graft Adjei, Kojo Sam, Kwame Asamani, alias Tan, Yao Gede, Wofa Nsiah and Ababio. Four other suspects are said to be on the run.
Mr Justice Blay remanded the suspects in prison custody for two weeks to assist the police in their investigation and advised the suspects to reveal the whereabouts of the other suspects on the run to enable the investigator to unravel the mystery surrounding the case.
The prosecutor, Detective Inspector Emmanuel Abiwu, told the court that on January 6, this year, a concerned citizen from Assin Atwereboanda wrote an anonymous letter to the Central Regional Police Commander in Cape Coast requesting that investigations be conducted into the circumstances surrounding the death of Kwame Foofo.
Detective Inspector Abiwu said the report mentioned the seven suspects and others as culprits.
He said on February 9, detailed police personnel proceeded to Atwereboanda and arrested Yakubu, Adjei and Sam.
He said investigations revealed that Yakubu shared a common boundary with Foofo and that there had been a dispute between the deceased and Yakubu.
He said on August 23, last year, Yakubu and Foofo fought on the farm following which each of them sustained machete wounds and reported the case to the police at Bediadua.
Inspector Abiwu said due to the alleged misbehaviour of the deceased, Adjei convened a meeting with the chief and people of the town to banish the deceased from the town.
He said, however, that in the morning of August 25, 2009 Foofo was found dead in front of his hamlet.
He said a report was made to the police at Bediadua and Inspector Abiwu led a team of policemen to the scene to inspect the body.
He said the family pleaded with the police to allow them to bury Foofo because they were financially handicapped and so could not transfer the body to hospital for post-mortem to be performed on it .
He said the police released the body to the family for burial.
He said Yakubu, in his caution statement, stated that his friend, Kwame Asamani, on seeing the wounds on him, promised to eliminate Foofo.
It was also alleged that Yakubu sold his palm trees to fund the group to execute the plan.
In remanding the suspects, Mr Blay indicated that the evidence supporting the case had given a twist to the case, especially the arrest and detention of the two policemen and therefore called for further investigation.