The investigator on the case in which the Ofankor Landlord, Stephen Nana Kamkam who allegedly murdered his tenant in cold blood over rent issues Inspector Oppong Bekoe, has told the Abeka District Court that, the suspect in question has not escaped as it’s being propagated.
The court had earlier ordered the accused be remanded into prison custody and should not be brought to court subsequently till further notice following the Chief Justice’s restriction order on the movement of remand and convicted prisons due to Covid-19.
During the last court hearing, the victim, late Benjamin Agyare’s father Mr Joseph Kwabena Manu Okyere, told the Abeka District Court that the family, after their investigations have realised the accused, Stephen Nana Kamkam, is not in custody as per the order of the court.
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Inspector Bekoe who is said to have been solely assigned to handle the case, told the district court after he was summoned to appear before it on Wednesday, 9th September 2020, that the accused is at the Accra Central Police cells.
However in court on Wednesday, when Inspector Bekoe appeared before the court, he corroborated the family’s position that the accused was not in prison custody as per the court order, but with the police.
In his explanation to the court, he said, after the order for him to be remanded at Ankafo Prisons, he was taken to the Police Hospital for a Covid-19 test.
He said it took two weeks for the test results to be ready and within the period he was instead remanded at the Accra Police Cells.
He also told the court that within that period, they had a directive from the Attorney General’s (AG’s) Department to conduct further investigations and therefore, “we needed the accused to assist us,so he was taken to Accra Central Police Cells.”
Inspector Bekoe told the court that, after completing their investigations, their findings have been sent to the AGs office on August 31.
He therefore told the court that, now that investigations have been completed, the accused person would be taken to the Ankafo Prison Cells tomorrow, Thursday, September 10, 2020.
The investigator told the court that, the family of the deceased has been made aware of the new development.
The father of the deceased, Mr Joseph Kwabena Manu Okyere, in his immediate response to the court, when asked why they were informed about the development, yet portrayed to the court there was something fishy going on? He noted he was not aware of what the investigator was telling the court.
The court, therefore, urged them to continue their monitoring after Thursday, September 10th, to find out if the investigator’s assurance to put him into prison cells would be fulfilled.
Inspector Stephen Ahiale told the court that, Investigator Bekoe has been solely assigned to this case and his absence from the court from previous sittings was due to promotional exams the investigator was undertaking.
The case has been adjourned to September 30, 2020.