Cops Torture Man To Death

TWO POLICE constables who allegedly battered to death a 43-year-old businessman for purportedly obstructing the lawful arrest of his niece, are being investigated by their superiors at the Ashanti Regional Police Command.

The deceased, who was identified as Kwabena Nyamekye Antoh, a shoe seller and resident of Aburaso, a suburb of Kumasi, was married with four children.

The incident, described as outrageous police brutality, happened on Wednesday night during the football match between Chelsea and Juventus.

The cops allegedly took the law into their hands and battered Kwabena Nyamekye with the nozzle and butt of their guns at the victim’s home at Aburaso community, rendering him unconscious in the process.

They arrested the victim and took him into police custody at the Suntreso District Police Command where he met his untimely death, wife of the deceased, Esther Aniwaa, told DAILY GUIDE.

But ASP Yusif Mohammed Tanko, public relations officer of the Ashanti Regional Police, said the victim died in a hospital after he was rushed there for medical attention.

According to him, the deceased was taken into custody on September 19 from his home in connection with a case of assault of a public officer registered against him.

He explained that one Hannah Oppong lodged a complaint of threat of harm against the niece of Kwabena Nyamekye on September 18 and followed it up with another case of assault on the day of the incident.

When the two constables were detailed to arrest the suspect, ASP Tanko disclosed, the deceased slapped and tore the uniform of one of the officers.

He was arrested and taken to the Suntreso District Police Headquarters where he was detained over night.

The police PRO narrated that around 6:30am the following day (Thursday), an inmate called to inform officers on duty at the station that Kwabena Nyamekye had collapsed while visiting the bathroom.

ASP Tanko said according to information relayed to him, “He was rushed to a hospital where he died of his illness.”

However, the family of the deceased person is telling a different story, with Kwabena’s wife insisting that her husband was thrashed and tortured badly by the police, leading to his untimely death.

Esther told DAILY GUIDE that Kwabena was subjected to severe beatings and collapsed on the spot, but was revived after volumes of water had been poured on him.

She added that the police did not budge in spite of his condition, and subsequently arrested her husband and kept him in their custody.

When the condition of Kwabena became critical, Esther Aniwaa revealed, the police denied the deceased person’s friend, Kwame Sarpong, the opportunity to take him to hospital that night.

He was found dead in the police cell the following morning before officers later took him to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Morgue, the wife alleged.

Meanwhile, ASP Yusif Mohammed Tanko earlier told the paper that the regional police command had assured the family of the deceased a full-scale investigation to ascertain the true facts of the case.

He said the information relayed to the media did not represent the position of the regional command as they were ready to receive accounts of all witnesses to the incident.