Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, CID Boss
The Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has taken over investigations into circumstances that led to the shooting of a trader at Agbogbloshie recently.
The deceased, identified as Charity Quist, a 24-year-old trader and mother of two, was shot by a stray bullet during a clash between some residents of the area and personnel of the Accra Regional Police Command.
The police were at the area to apprehend a suspected armed robber identified as Nuhu Sulley who was said to be hiding in the area with his booty, having embarked on an operation the previous night.
In the melee, a police Toyota Tundra was also damaged.
The Inspector General of Police, David Asante- Apeatu then ordered the CID to immediately take over the case from the Accra Regional Police Command and investigate the weapon that allegedly discharged the bullet leading to the death of the innocent trader and the circumstances surrounding the attack.
When DAILY GUIDE contacted the director in charge of the Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department, Chief Superintendent Hanson Kovie, he said the docket was received by his outfit yesterday from the Accra Regional Police Command and work has since commenced.
He said postmortem has already been conducted on the dead body of the woman at the police hospital but the police were yet to take sample to the crime laboratory for thorough assessment on the type of gun that discharged the bullet and others as part of their investigations.
He said those to be interrogated have also been invited, adding that investigations have just begun.
Madam Charity Quist was killed while three others sustained various degrees of injury during a clash between the police and some residents of Agbogbloshie in Accra a week ago, after the police had stormed the area to apprehend a suspected armed robber.
The said robbery suspect, identified as Nuhu Sully, was arrested in the process together with two of his accomplices but the two accomplices managed to escape police grips as a result of the clash.
The deputy Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Victor Dosoo, later told DAILY GUIDE that when the personnel got to the scene and had apprehended suspect Sully and two of his other accomplices, residents of the area came out with machetes, pump action guns and other offensive weapons to attack the police in an attempt to set the arrested suspects free.
Chief Inspector Dosoo said that the personnel were pelted with stones while others also fired some gunshots.
In the process, two of the arrested suspects absconded from the hands of the police with the exception of Nuhu, the kingpin.
Chief inspector Dosoo said in the process of the mayhem, a stray bullet hit the woman who died on the spot.
“Later the personnel called for reinforcement which led to the arrest of 15 others who allegedly played various roles in the attack on the police”, he added.
(lindatenyah@gmail.com)
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey