The fatal shooting of a woman in a Kumasi hotel last Thursday was committed by the boyfriend of the deceased, police have announced.
Edwin Awuku, 42, has been arrested by the police for allegedly shooting and killing his girlfriend, Comfort Owusu Afriyie, aka Maame Yaa, 46.
The two had checked in at the Cedar Crescent Hotel at Denyame, a serene area in Kumasi, on January 2, 2019, only for the man to shoot the lady at close range.
After the murder, Awuku then drove his car to his house at Amakom, where he hid the pistol he used to kill Maame Yaa before confessing his sins to his wife.
And in a desperate attempt to cover up for the murder, Awuku and his wife returned to the Cedar Crescent Hotel at Denyame to raise the alarm about the woman’s death.
In furtherance of his plan to avoid arrest, Awuku and his wife reported to the police about an armed robbery and murder at the Cedar Crescent Hotel.
ASP Godwin Ahianyo, the Ashanti Regional Police PRO, who made the disclosure, said Awuku, the prime suspect, was being interrogated.
He said a Smith & Wesson SD 9mm pistol which Awuku used to kill Maame Yaa, an empty shell casing and Infinix Hot 5 mobile phone had been retrieved from the suspect.
Earlier reports indicated that Awuku and Maame Yaa were in their hotel room when some hoodlums broke into their room and shot the lady, but the police investigations have discounted that theory.
In a news release, ASP Ahianyo stated that “there was no armed robbery attack at the hotel as was reported by the complainant, who is the wife of the suspect.”
He explained that Awuku on Thursday, January 2, 2020 around 1:00am checked into the hotel with Comfort Owusu Afriyie.
“Whilst in the hotel room, suspect Awuku shot the victim in the chest, killing her instantly and he (Awuku) sustained an injury on his left forefinger in the process.
“Awuku, sensing danger, left the hotel premises unnoticed and drove to his residence at Amakom and informed the wife about the incident and dropped the exhibit weapon and his mobile phone at home,” he added.
The docket on the case is being prepared for onward transmission to the Office of the Attorney General for advice.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi