Gunned Down In Church

For the umpteenth time, the Ghana Police Service has been entangled in yet another incident of abuse of power - a development which has claimed one life.

The latest case, which pathetically claimed the life of a 36-year-old estate developer barely a week to his wedding day, occurred right in the premises of a church, where the unarmed businessman was shot by an officer of the Prampram Police Station in the Dangme West District of the Greater Accra Region. The name of the officer was simply given as Gattor.

The deceased, Abdul Hakeem Annan Darpoh, was fatally shot by Gattor in the premises of an Assemblies of God Church at Prampram, after which the bravado cop allegedly boasted saying, "I am an action man; as for me when I go for operation I do not spare."

The deceased, an estate developer who hails from the local royal family, also engaged in selling of plots of land, besides owning a thriving block factory at New Dawhenya.

According to the story, at around 4.00am of Thursday July 17, 2008, there was a distress call from residents in the area, who claimed they had been attacked by some armed robbers.

Being a respectable person in the area, Darpoh reportedly responded to the distress call by coming out of his room in the spirit of vigilante, and against entreaties by his brother.

Once out of his room, Darpoh and one Asante proceeded to the block factory where he had recently installed some computers to find out if his property was safe. And with an assurance that no robber had been there, he proceeded to a nearby Assemblies of God Church, some 50 metres from where the pastor had told them he had no idea of a robbery incident.

Incidentally, the deceased and those who gave the distress call also called the police.

Ironically the patrol team he had called turned up and upon hearing their voices came out to meet the police.

The team of policemen responded by asking them to lie down, which they did amidst explanation that they were not the robbers, and that they had rather called for police assistance.

And while they lay down, Gattor allegedly opened fire on the youngmen in the lying posture, hitting Darpoh in the leg.

The bleeding man and others were driven to the Prampram Police Station for several minutes where the deceased asked to be taken to the hospital when his condition was getting worse.

"I am dying, take me to hospital," he reportedly pleaded, but Gattor, who drove him and the others to the station, allegedly retorted, "As for me I am an action man, when I go for operations I do not spare".

Eventually after some hours, the bleeding man was driven to the Tema General Hospital where he was handcuffed to a facility, but without any prompt medical attention.

Pathetically, even when family members pleaded that he be transferred to another hospital, a policeman who stood guard over him refused, saying that he could only take orders from a superior officer.

Eye-witnesses told DAILY GUIDE that he continued to bleed in that position for close to an hour until he finally died at about 5.30p.m that same morning.

The pastor of the church, who witnessed the incident but would not like to be named, told the paper that even though he initially bragged after the shooting, Gattor started begging for forgiveness when he realized that he had shot an innocent man.

When contacted, the Tema Regional Police Crime Office confirmed the incident, indicating that investigations were on-going to get to the bottom of the matter.

The crime office further admitted that none of the young men the police fired at was armed or resisted arrest.

Meanwhile, DAILY GUIDE has gathered that arrangements are being made for early post-mortem and burial of the deceased according to Islamic tradition.

A bird also whispered to the paper that the family of the deceased was girding its loins to drag the police administration to court over the incident.

From Razak Mardorgyz, Prampram