You Can Conduct Your Independent DNA Test — Police To Allow Families Of Missing Girls

The Ghana Police Service has said it will not object to the request by the families of the kidnapped Takoradi girls to conduct an independent DNA test on some human remains suspected to be that of the girls.

According to the police, the Acting Inspector General of Police James Oppong Boanuh gave the assurance when he visited the family last month.

The DNA test conducted on the four human remains discovered around a house once occupied by the suspected kidnapper proved positive.

Subsequently, the families of the victims have rejected the outcome calling for an independent probe.

Speaking on Accra based Starr FM, Director General of Police Public Affairs ACP David Eklu assured that the concerns of the families will be addressed.

“They can conduct their own independent investigation to either confirm or come out with some finding so with that one we do not have any problem with it. We are not going to make any public announcement, we will agree with the families because these are very emotionally or touchy issues which we will have to handle with care so my advice is that let us be measured in the way we speak about these things because we still have work to do to ensure that we get justice for prosecution.”

Meanwhile, families of the girls say they are making attempts to get the Police to release the remains of the deceased girls to conduct independent investigations.

A spokesperson for the families, Michael Hayford Grant said the decision was made after a meeting this morning.

Michael Hayford Grant told Citi News they will also rely on private persons to assist with the investigations if their request is granted.

“The family is taking a step to see how best we can get the skeletons that the Police are claiming they have in their custody . Now it stands now, we have heard Mr. Okori .. say that we can also go ahead and do the DNA test but the skeletons are in their hands.

“None of us have used their naked eyes to see the exact skeletons that they are talking about so we are going to work hard to get those skeletons so that all the private citizens who are willing to help will be allowed to do so. You will hear from us by Monday.”

Loss of confidence

Residents of Takoradi have expressed skepticism with the police's conclusions in the case.

The family of Ruthlove Quayson is pushing for an independent forensic probe to bring satisfactory closure to the case.

A former Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and a pathologist, Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa also said he was not convinced with the police's conclusions either.

He had stated that a more experienced forensic opinion is required to authenticate the outcome of the DNA test conducted by the police in the Takoradi kidnapping case.

A lawyer and former legislator, John Ndebugri, went as far as demanding the arrest of COP Addo-Danquah arguing that she was complicit because of the comments she made about the girls' whereabouts.

---citinewsroom