Mourners arrested for dumping corpse at Police charge office

Accra, Feb. 20, GNA - Police have arrested a group of mourners for dumping a casket containing a corpse at the Osu Police Station charge office on Saturday.

Earlier, the mourners were said to have assaulted a Police Officer at post at the American Embassy Public Affairs Section and caused damage to the windscreen of a Police car.

The mourners believed to be residents of Adabraka were said to have dumped the mortal remains of one Agyekum, a resident of Adabraka, in retaliation for the arrest of four of their colleagues. The Police earlier apprehended Gayo Worshie, a mechanic, Richard Osei and Alex Odonkor, both drivers and Yaw Amponsah for parking their vehicle in front of the Public Affairs Section of the American Embassy, near the Ridge Roundabout.

Information gathered by the GNA indicated that on Saturday February 18, 2005, the mourners, who were on their way to bury Agyekum at the Awudome Cemetery stopped in front of the Embassy. A Policeman at post, whose name is withheld, asked them to move their vehicles since the Embassy did not allow people to park their vehicles there.

The mourners challenged Policeman claiming that they were in their country and as such they could park at anywhere they liked. The mourners attacked the Policeman and attempted to seize his rifle. The Police officer, however, held onto his rifle and fired a warning shot but this did not deter the mourners.

Some Policemen who were also at post called for reinforcement and three sets of patrol teams arrived at the scene. The angry mourners threw stones at the Police vehicles and damaged the windscreen of one of them.

The Policeman identified four of the mourners, who attacked him to the patrol team and they were arrested.

When information reached some the mourners at the Awudome Cemetery, they quickly removed the casket and carried it on a truck, drove to the Police station and dumped the corpse at the charge office. The Police managed to apprehend nine others including Samuel Laryea, a mechanic, Louis Otoo, a student, Godwin Paku, an upholstery designer, Ebenezer Ntreh, a laundry attendant and Joseph Botchwey, a businessman.

The rest are Mohammed Norgah, Kwame Ofori, Yaw Amponsah and Isaac Arthur. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Mr James Annor, Osu District Commander, who confirmed the story to GNA, said elders of the deceased had since buried corpse.

ASP Annor said the suspects would be put before court and charged with offensive conduct, assaulting a public officer and causing unlawful damage. 20 Feb. 06