Deceased's Family Cries Foul

Relatives of 28-year- old Kwasi Agyei, who was shot and killed on February 6, 2002 at the Nsoatre Palace in the Brong Ahafo Region, have petitioned the Director of Public Prosecutions at the Attorney General's Department, Mr. Osafo Sampong, to assign a fresh team to the case.

The family said they have lost confidence and trust in both the Regional State Attorney and the Regional CID boss (Regional Crime Officer) at Sunyani whom they accuse of taking bribe from the suspects.

Kwesi Agyei was alledgedly murdered by persons suspected to be supporters of one Professor Kwabena Oppong-Boachie of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a contestant of the Nsoatre stool while he was sleeping at the palace.

According to the petition, a third of its kind, which was signed by Nana Fredua-Agyeman, solicitor for the Nsoatre Abakomahene and Nsoatre Nsesesreso royal family, eyewitness account pointed to one Patrick Anane (alias Anane Militia) and Burger Mohammed as the prime suspects.

Nana Fredua-Agyeman said despite overwhelming evidence against the suspects, they have not been arraigned before court for prosecution.

"What my clients find extremely provocative is the conduct of the suspects", the solicitor said. "They move about Nsoatre bragging, 'Money is talking'. They also speak to the hearing of my clients that they have 'seen' the police at Nsoatre and Sunyani and the Regional State Attorney."

Nana Fredua-Agyeman said his clients believed the statements by the suspects because since the death of Kwasi Agyei, about three Criminal sessions (Criminal Assizes) have taken place but the Nsoatre Palace murder suspects have never been arraigned before court.

The counsel said the police had initially arrested seven persons including Patrick Anane and Burger Mohammed but Mohammed managed to escape to Canada.

Nana Fredua-Agyeman said when Mohammed got away, the Regional CID assured the victim's family that INTERPOL would be contacted to locate and bring him down from Canada to face the law.

But he said when the suspects were released; they informed Mohammed who traveled back home from Canada.

The solicitor said upon hearing of Mohammed's return, his clients informed the Regional CID but to their surprise, the CID boss told them that the police could not arrest him unless told to do so by the Regional State Attorney.

"The Regional State Attorney also showed no interest in the case this conduct by the police and State Attorney confirms the statements by the murder suspects that they had bribed the police and the State Attorney," counsel said.

He said the victim's family believes assigning a new team from the headquarters of the AG's department to arrest the suspect would speed up the process of prosecuting the suspects.