KILLED! Marcus Mawutor Adzahli
Policemen from the Kasoa Divisional Command in the Central Region have successfully arrested three men suspected to be linked to the recent death of the assembly member for Sogakope in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region.
Following a tip-off, the police rounded up Bright Awuya, Franklin Teteh and Stephen Ansong at their hideout at Obom, near Kasoa on Sunday.
According to police sources, the Sogakope Police Command has been informed about the arrests and the suspects sent to the crime scene for investigations to continue.
Marcus Mawutor Adzahli was brutally murdered on March 1, sparking outrage in the town which led to violent protests for two continuous days.
Previous Arrests
This latest development brings the number of persons arrested in connection with the death of the assemblyman to seven but the details of the first four have been kept from the public by the police.
Meanwhile, two police officers of the Sogakope Police Station had also been arrested over the missing of service rifle on March 7.
The police stressed that the arrest of the police officers was in no way connected to the murder incident, but some residents of the area disagreed with the assertion by the police.
Mr. Adzahli, who was also a businessman, sustained wounds in the head, chest and stomach, suggesting that he might have struggled with his assailant(s) before being shot.
His wife also sustained injuries in the head and a knife wound on her shoulder.
There are reports that the assailants made away with undisclosed amount of money which was in a safe in the victim’s room and also gave warning shots as they escaped from Sogakope.
Sources claimed it took the assailants about 45 minutes to break the door to get into the house, and distress calls from the victim went unanswered.
The police have, since after the arrests of the four murder suspects and the two police officers, not briefed the public on the status of the case.
During the violent protests, some persons were hit by stray bullets as the police tried to clear the Accra-Aflao highway, as well as the police station where the protesters tried to close it down.
Bounty
Former President Jerry John Rawlings later offered GH¢25,000 in addition to the earlier bounties offered by the police and some individuals to help locate killers of the Sogakope South assembly member.
The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa, and the South Tongu DCE, Emmanuel Louis Agama, had earlier offered GH¢10,000 each towards the death of the assembly member.
The offer by the former President brings the total amount of bounty for the arrest of the assailants to GH¢45,000.
Mr. Adzahli was elected assembly member for the Sogakope South Electoral Area for the first time in the December 17, 2019 local assembly elections.
(k.duodu@yahoo.com)
From Fred Duodu, Ho