Prince Kwabena Kumi
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), David Asante-Apeatu, has directed the Police Professional and Standards Bureau (PIPS) to commence investigations into the death of a 34-year-old engineer Prince Kwabena Kumi.
The order follows a petition by the family of the deceased for an investigation into circumstances leading to the death of their relative during Easter.
The late Kumi, an aeronautic engineer with the African World Airlines, was found dead between Akroso and Asuboa with bullet wounds.
The deceased was reportedly stopped by the police on his way to Asuboa from Accra for the Easter festivity.
The family of the deceased is pointing accusing fingers at the Akyem Akroso Police in the Eastern Region.
According to the family, the late Kumi was found dead after his car was seized by the police midway through his journey to the town from Accra.
The family also alleged that the police prevented the deceased from boarding any commercial car after they seized his car for suspected drunk-driving.
Sister of the deceased, Abena Osei Debrah said, “They [the police] claim they tried taking him to the police station but he wouldn’t go with them so they actually drove the car to the police station and left him standing wherever they stopped him. But later on, he was found dead in a ditch between Asuboa and the Akroso.”
“His phone was in the car for three days and you didn’t think you should bother to check it to even find out why the person hasn’t come to the police station,” she stated.
“They [the police] stopped him. They took the car and left and prevented other vehicles from taking him,” she added.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Eastern Regional Police Command, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, said the man is believed to have boarded a commercial vehicle, adding that the police would locate the driver of the said vehicle to assist in investigations.
“We have also commenced investigations into the death of the young man. The driver of the commercial vehicle will be a material witness and he will be able to tell us whether the man was able to get to his final destination or alighted along the way, because it looks as if he was murdered and the body dumped in the bush. So we are looking for the driver of the vehicle,” he said.
ASP Tetteh assured the public that the outcome of the ongoing investigations by both national and regional commands would be made public.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri