Nine arrested for lynching man

Nine people have been arrested by the Amasaman District police for allegedly murdering a man identified only as 'Joe', in an apparent case of "mob Justice".

Briefing the Times at Amasaman Tuesday, the District Police Commander, Superintendent Oklu Gyamera, said on October 19, the police received information that a middle aged man had been killed and dumped into a gutter at Pokuase, near Amasaman.

He said police investigations revealed that on October 18, Joe passed through the house of Eric K. Afornorpe and on seeing him, a woman named as Akosua Larbi, raised the alarm that he was a thief.
He said this attracted people to the house and they assaulted Joe until he fell unconscious.

Afornope, and others, allegedly tied Joe's hands, put a lorry tyre around his waist and dragged him along the ground and finally dumped him in a gutter.

Those arrested include Afornorpe, 40, carpenter; Kwame Agbota, 41, driver; Prosper Agbota 32, photographer; Salifu Aliu, 25, aluminium fabricator; and Yaw Owusu, 29, cobbler.

The rest are Richmond Akwetey, 27, carpenter; Joe Agyemang, 39, trader; Solomon. Kwabena Coffie, 18, student and Solomon Duvor, 28, building technician.

Two others are at large, he said. Superintendent Oklu said the body has been deposited at the police mortuary for autopsy, while investigations continue.

He appealed to the public not to take the law into their own hands, rather, they must hand over suspects to the police.