Chief to answer for murder of mentally retarded person

Hohoe, May 28, GNA-A Hohoe Circuit Court has granted bail to Togbe Yao Akorli III, Chief of Fodome Ahor, over the alleged murder of Obed Amevor, a 19-year old mentally retarded person. Togbe Akorli who appeared together with Bartholomew Adoboe, an ex-soldier and three others on the same charge of murder, has been admitted to a bail of GH¢ 15,000 with two sureties, one to be justified.

Adoboe, Adra Aborla, Fabian Kofikumah and Sietso Robert have been committed to prison custody to re-appear on June 27, this year. Their plea was not taken. Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector, Mr. Samuel Gbedemah told the court, presided over by Mr. Samuel Sarpong-Appiah that Amevor, who was mentally retarded had been harassing female teachers at Fodome-Ahor, but several warnings to his family to restrain him were not heeded. He said Togbe Akorli on February 8, this year, ordered the youth to arrest Amevor, who was subsequently tied with a rope by Adoboe and his three accomplices. Chief Inspector Gbedemah said Togbe Akorli demanded three bottles of 'Akpeteshie' gin as condition for his release and insisted that Amevor be banished from the village. He said Amevor's mother obliged and took him to a prayer camp where he died on February 16 and was buried three days later without informing the Police. Chief Inspector Gbedemah said an informant alerted the Police about the incident leading to the arrest of the suspects and exhumation of Amevor's body for autopsy and further investigations. He said an autopsy report signed by Dr. Joseph Hernandez, pathologist at the Police Hospital, Accra indicated that Amevor died from strangulation, vascular lacerations of the vessels, internal haemorrhage with direct cause being hypodermic shock.