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Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Source: GNA

Bereaved family petitions IGP

The family of a scrap dealer, who was beaten by persons suspected to be land guards at Mataheko, near Afienya, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over the death of their relation.

They alleged that the police have so far been reluctant in the prosecution of the murder suspects.

Mohammed Morrow, spokesman for the deceased’s family, told DAILY GUIDE yesterday that the deceased, Rauf Yussif alias Adolph was attacked by assailants who initially injured him.

According to him, they later handed him over to the Emef Police and the complainant told them that the Rauf tried to rob a resident together with his accomplices who escaped to avoid arrest.

He challenged the said complainant to provide evidence to buttress his claims.

According to him, his narration was an attempt to cover up their deeds.

Explaining further, Morrow noted that his brother left home on February 2, 2013 in a healthy state.

He said that details of what later happened were narrated to the family by his friends who were with him before his demise.

“We were told how his assailants went to the scene where he was killed. He was reported to have been beaten up by this group which later handed him over to the police at Emef Estate where he was transferred to the police hospital in Accra.

"We were even told that he was allegedly left behind the counter of the police station for several hours with an excuse that there was no vehicle to send him to the hospital. He reportedly died on arrival at the hospital,” the spokesman remarked.

“His body was released to the family after post-mortem for burial which we did in accordance with our religion.”

Morrow stated that his brother had no criminal records, adding, “The truth is that he had some few friends who were land guards. He went to that area to say hello to some of his friends when the assailants arrived and attacked them and unfortunately he got trapped in the attack which was believed to be based on a disputed land. He was later handed over to the police as a suspected robber,” he commented.

The family could not fathom why the police failed to arrest and interrogate persons who attacked him.

He mentioned some of the alleged assailants as Eric, Ali Quaranga and a 1BN Michel Camp base military man, Ahmed.”

“We hereby petition the acting Inspector General of Police to commence investigation into Rauf’s death so as to bring his killers to book.

“Initially after the incident, we were of the opinion that the local police will do all it can to prosecute the said group but as I speak now it has been more than a month and yet still the family has not heard a word from the police regarding my brother’s death,” he said.