Godfred Yeboah Dame
The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has revealed that eyewitnesses in the murder of Ahmed Suale’s case were unable to identify any of the four suspects who were arrested and taken through the investigation processes.
According to him, following up on intelligence, Edward Gatson Kofi Goka, Musah Iddrisu alias Yaa Pono, Francis Osie Poku alias 666 and Abdul Rashid Meizongo alias Kakalika were arrested for investigation.
Responding to questions on the floor of Parliament yesterday, Mr. Yeboah Dame explained that during the investigation, two crucial witnesses were contacted and they provided vivid descriptions of two suspects.
Consequently, he said a request was made to the Department of Geomatic Engineering at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) for the use of satellite imagery, sketching of the assailants from a description of the witnesses, and use of telecommunication networks.
He told Parliament that based on the recommendations of the Department of Geomatic Engineering, KNUST, the two eyewitnesses were presented before the Forensic Artists on January 27, 2019.
“After listening and recording the description of the assailants, the Forensic Artists sketched two (2) artistic images. The witnesses finally confirmed the sketched images as the perfect resemblance of the assailants.
“Following up on intelligence, suspects – Edward Gatson Kofi Goka, Musah Iddrisu alias Yaa Pono, Francis Osie Poku alias 666 and Abdul Rashid Meizongo alias Kakalika were arrested for investigation,” he stressed.
The AG asserted, “The four suspects were taken through the investigation processes but the eyewitnesses could not identify them.”
The suspects were subsequently granted police enquiry bail and are assisting investigations, he added.
The Attorney General noted that so far “no docket fit for prosecution or action” had been built and presented to his office since.
“It is correct to say that the Attorney General is thus not seized of this matter,” he added.
The AG pointed out that he had met with relevant stakeholders, including the former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), to resolve this and other homicide cases.
“I enquired about the state of investigations into the same. I demanded a report on the status of investigations to be delivered to me,” he narrated.
According to him, the Director-General of the CID obliged his request and presented a docket giving an account of work done so far on the Ahmed Suale’s murder case.
“The information showed that the deceased Ahmed Hussein Suale was an undercover investigative journalist who worked with Tiger Eye P. I.
“He was key in the investigations that exposed malfeasance in some state institutions. On January 16, 2019, two unknown persons on a motorbike with a covered license plate shot and killed the deceased in his vehicle at Madina while he was on his way back from a family meeting,” he said.
Investigations
The AG indicated that investigations by the police commenced immediately.
He added that two empty shells of 9 x 199mm were found on the ground while three other empty shells and three spent pellets of 9 x 19mm ammunition were also found in the car.
“An iPhone 7 plus mobile phone and Huawei smart phone belonging to the deceased were also found and retrieved,” he said.
He stated that on January 17, 2019, an autopsy was performed on the body of the deceased by Dr. Osei Owusu-Afriyie, a pathologist at the Police Hospital after it was identified by a paternal uncle of the deceased, Ex-WO Alhaji Mahama in the presence of the police.
“The pathologist gave an interim cause of death as (a) hemorrhagic shock (b) severe chest injury and (c) gun shot at close range (unnatural). The body was subsequently released to the bereaved family for interment in accordance with Islamic custom,” the minister narrated further.
He recounted further that on January 22, 2019, exhibits retrieved from the scene were sent to the Police Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic examination.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House