Correspondence from the Eastern Region

The family of Gloria Awatey, the 29-year-old woman who died after allegedly being poisoned at Adawso in the Eastern Region, has appealed to the Ministry of the Interior and the Ghana Police Service to ensure transparency in the ongoing investigation into her death.

Family head and immediate past District Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at Dodowa, Michael Afedi Dadebo, told the press that the family fears aspects of the case could be manipulated and is therefore calling on the Interior Minister and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene to ensure justice.

Rev Dadebo said that the family was particularly concerned about the handling of the autopsy conducted on the deceased, noting that although the family reportedly paid for the examination, they had not been officially informed about the outcome.

According to him, the doctor who conducted the autopsy was selected by the police, yet the family has not been formally briefed on the findings.

“We paid for the autopsy, yet the police chose the doctor who conducted it, and we have not been formally informed that the results are out,” he stated.

The family has also raised concerns about what it describes as irregularities during court proceedings at the High Court of Ghana in Koforidua.

Rev Dadebo alleged that when family members went to the court following instructions from the police, they were prevented from entering the courtroom, while members of the suspect’s family were reportedly allowed inside.

“They were calling people to enter the courtroom. The suspect’s family was called, but we were left outside until the proceedings were over,” he alleged.

When contacted, Police Inspector George Oppong Boakye said the matter was currently before the court and declined to comment further until the case had been concluded.

Meanwhile, the prime suspect in the case, Ernest Klonu, believed to be the deceased’s husband, has secured legal representation and is seeking bail.

Background

According to police information, the incident occurred on January 9, 2026, at about 11:30 pm, when Gloria Awatey, a resident of Dodowa Salem and a mother of three, allegedly consumed a substance suspected to be poisonous at a residence in Adawso.

Family members claim the deceased had been experiencing marital challenges and had reportedly moved from the matrimonial home to stay elsewhere before the incident.

Investigators say the couple’s seven-year-old daughter is considered a key witness in the case. The child reportedly told investigators that she saw her father enter the room at night, take a cup belonging to her six-month-old sibling, pour a drink into it, add an unknown substance, and allegedly force the liquid into the deceased’s mouth before leaving the scene.

The victim was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Her body has since been deposited at the Apau Mortuary on the Adawso–Koforidua Road pending further investigations.

Police say investigations into the case are ongoing.