Suspect in murder of GPHA official granted bail after alleged attacks in custody

An Accra High Court has granted bail to the suspected murderer of Josephine Tandoh Asante, the Marketing and Public Affairs Manager of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority.

The suspect of the murder of the former GPHA boss, Christain Agyei, was granted GHc200,000 bail with two sureties, one of who must provide justification.

The case has been adjourned to October 10, 2019.

According to the Chronicle newspaper, the bail was necessitated after its reports of attacks on the suspect, Christian Adjei, while he was police custody at the in the Nima Police Station.

Josephine Tandoh Asante, aged 49, was found dead in her residence at Emefs Hillview Estate in the Ningo Prampraam District of the Greater Accra Region, on January 13, 2019.

She was stabbed to death in an attack after she returned from a Senior Staff party.

After interrogating a number of persons, two of them, Christian Agyei, houseboy, and Amos Apeku, her official driver, were detained to assist with police investigations.

During one of the appearances, Her Ladyship Mrs Akosua Anokyewaa Agyapong, Presiding Magistrate at the Tema District Court, cautioned the police to ensure the safety of the prime suspect, Christian Agyei.

She went on to state that the suspect’s health was vital since the courts cannot try a dead body.

Mrs Agyapong’s caution followed a complaint by the suspect that he was being maltreated by other inmates in the cells at the Nima Police Station.

Over the weekend, an inmate allegedly hit the head of suspect Agyei with a metal object which resulted in excessive bleeding.

According to sources, detectives from the Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) were called upon to rush him to the Police Hospital, where he was treated and discharged

Agyei was, however, returned to the police cells because of his inability to meet the bail conditions.

On March 20, 2019, the Accra High Court, chaired by Justice George Buadi, granted bail to the driver, Apeku.

The police during investigations made a series of requests through the Tema District Court for analysis at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). They included finger/footprints and DNA of the two accused persons.

The Chronicle’s security sources intimated that since none of the samples matched those obtained at the scene, and upon submission made by counsel, which was accepted by the State Attorney, the judge granted the bail.

The case has since been adjourned to October 10, 2019.Meanwhile, the Nima Divisional Police Command is to launch full-scale investigations into how a deadly metal object found its way into the police cells.

A source at the Police Headquarters, who was fuming with rage over the incident, stated that the cell is known to be protective custody for the fact that the suspect there is insulated from any harm.

This, the source stated, was the reason why the inmates are not permitted to carry with them, for example, long clothes and waist belts to facilitate suicide.