Eric Kojo Duah
The one-storey house of Eric Kojo Duah, the main suspected killer of two cops last week, is now under lock and key.
An eerie silence has enveloped the house as though now peopled by ghosts.
The house occupied by the ‘killer’s’ late mother Elizabeth Boateng, until her death, was where Eric Kojo Duah lived until his residency was moved to the cells of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and now in prison custody under remand.
Neighbours are visibly avoiding any interaction with persons they think are media persons because they might not like to be associated with the ongoing investigations.
Probe Order
The acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) James Oppong-Boanuh, in the light of the flurry of charges being levelled against some police officers in Kasoa, some of which appear ‘repugnant’ to the integrity of policing, has ordered a probe.
A news release originating from the Director General of the Police Public Affairs Directorate yesterday stated that the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB) and the Police Intelligence Department (PID) have been charged “to investigate reports concerning conduct of police officers related to the shooting incident at Budumburam, leading to the death of the two officers.”
The release said, “The Director Generals of PPSB and PID are to submit their investigation reports to the IGP (Ag) in three weeks.”
The police have also asked the media “to be circumspect in their commentary and channel any relevant information to the police to assist in the investigation.”
The release encouraged the public to volunteer information that would be valuable to the investigating bureau.
Fear Grips Bad Cops
Police officers with skeletons in their cupboards are said to have been gripped with apprehension about the development.
With the contribution of members of the public who know too much about the ‘unwholesome’ operations of some cops in the Kasoa area, the IGP’s order is no laughing matter.
Osu Police Station
DAILY GUIDE can confirm that three of the suspects arrested a few hours after the shooting incident were detained at the Osu Police Station until Monday morning when were they moved away from the location.
Unconfirmed information has it that the wife of the suspected killer has been arrested, having left her original abode at Budumburam.
A Joy News report in their latest bulletin yesterday pointed out that a telltale police uniform was found on a drying line at Eric’s house.
Wild Rumours
With speculations rife about a cordial relationship existing between the suspect and the police in Kasoa, a rumour which is now a subject of an IGP-directed investigation, the ownership of the uniform would offer an important ingredient for the investigators.
With all the suspects now formally charged with a total of four counts of conspiracy, abetment and murder, all is now set for the commencement of the appropriate adjudication in a case which touched the hearts of most Ghanaians.
Accused Persons
The accused persons include Eric Kojo Duah, Isaac Amissah, Ibrahim Zakaria, Isaac Mensa, Oblitey Commey, Victor Yire and Fatawu Ahmed.
They stand accused of allegedly shooting and killing Sgt. Michael Dzamesi, a service driver, and L/Cpl. Awal Mohammed at a place called Big Apple, near Budumburam, Kasoa.
The deceased policemen were personnel of the Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) detachment at Kasoa, and their deaths have sparked public outrage.
They were brought before court, presided over by Rosemond Doodua Agyiri, on Monday.
Given that the court did not have the jurisdiction to trial murder cases and only expected to do a pre-trial committal, the plea of the accused persons were not taken.
The facts of the case were also not read and the accused persons were not represented by any lawyer.
Array of Narrations
The array of narrations of what happened on the day of the incident continue to make it to the media, the latest being about how one of the suspects, Ibrahim Zakariah, responded to Eric Duah’s SOS call that his car was being snatched from him. It was a fateful moment as he ended up being rounded up as a suspect in the case.
The case has been adjourned to September 26, 2019.
Suspect’s Church Rattled
The Strong Living Fire Church, the suspect’s mother’s worship facility, is now a cynosure of all eyesin Dansoman, Accra, where it is located with passers-by taking glimpses of the place and neighbours engaged in endless gossips about the late Mama Lizy’s son who has hit the news for the wrong reasons.
Although the custodians of the church have sought to distance the suspect’s seeming deviant character from his late mother, the coming days would turn in more and interesting details about Eric Duah and his escapades in Kasoa.
By A.R. Gomda