The Tarkwa District Court One has remanded nine accused persons into prison custody for allegedly murdering a cab driver in Akotom in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region.
The accused persons, who made their third appearance in court, are facing charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and murder, but their pleas were not taken.
They are expected to reappear in court on Monday, March 3, 2025.
Prosecuting, Police Sergeant Enoch Assan Donkor told the court presided over by Mr. Charles Owusu Nsiah that the complainant was a businessman residing in Huniso, and the deceased, Kwadwo Donkor alias ‘Chilling,’ was his employee.
The accused persons—Nana Kwabena Agyarko, 45, Evans Azure alias Ampana, 40, Peter Kwamena Antwi, 34, Felix Atsu Davor, 38, Sampson Agbodojie, 30, Kojo Bonzy, 72, Stephen Owusu alias Kofi Abanga, 38, Kofi Ampabeng, 38, and Lucky Mudoo, 30—are a teacher, mason, drivers, and farmers.
The prosecutor stated that except for Azure, who resides at Camp near Tarkwa, the rest are residents of Akotom.
According to the prosecution, on November 8, 2024, at about 8:30 am, the deceased left home with his taxicab for work but did not return.
The complainant made several attempts to reach him, but all proved futile, prompting him to report the matter to the police on November 9, 2024, at about 2:30 pm.
While investigations were ongoing, the police received a tip-off that one Sheriffa, a suspect currently on the run, had spotted the deceased near her husband’s car at Akotom and, without justification, raised an alarm that he was a thief.
Sheriffa’s alarm attracted the accused persons and some youth in the community, who are currently at large.
The accused persons accosted the deceased, and Azure, who was passing by at the time, provided a rope, which they used to tie the deceased to a nearby electric pole.
Sergeant Donkor said the accused persons and their accomplices subjected the deceased to severe beatings with various objects, allegedly leading to his death.
Upon realizing that Donkor had died, they placed his body in a tricycle and dumped it in a bush along the Tarkwa-Bogoso Highway, about 1.5 kilometers from the Akotom community.
On November 10, 2024, Agyarko, who was picked up to assist in police investigations, initially denied involvement but later confessed, mentioning Antwi and others at large as his accomplices.
Agyarko then led the police to the bush, where the body was retrieved in an advanced state of decomposition.
Azure was arrested on November 12, 2024, and implicated Antwi and Davor, leading to their arrest at a hideout.
Police intelligence also indicated that the rest of the accused persons were involved in the crime, leading to their arrests.
Sergeant Donkor added that after investigations, a duplicate docket was forwarded to the Attorney General’s office in Sekondi for review and advice.
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