There was drama over the retrieved mobile phone of the murdered Member of Parliament (MP) for Mfantseman, Ekow Quansah Hayford, when suspects traded blame over who first bought the phone.
The Samsung Galaxy A50, three weeks ago, was traced to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region where it had been sold on the black market.
This led to the arrest of Alhasan Abubakar alias Fulani, a phone repairer; Nasiru Fudailu, a businessman; Alhassan Mahama Yaya, alias Mystical Cloud, a resident of Dansoman; and Amadu Yakubu, a mobile money vendor, along with Haruna Osmanu, a trader, and Adam Alhasan.
According to Chief Inspector Seth Frimpong, Nasiru Fudailu was the one in possession of the phone when the handset was traced. He told the police that he had bought the device for GH¢750 from Alhassan Abubakar.
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He then led the police to Kumasi Abubakar at Kumasi Akwatialine. After he was picked up, Abubakar told the Police that he had also bought the phone from Mohammed for GH¢650.
Police investigations led to the arrest of Alhassan Mahama Yaya, Amadu Yakubu, Haruna Osmanu and Adam Alhassan.
Meanwhile, all eight suspects arrested in connection with the murder of the lawmaker including Abubakar alias Fulani (phone repairer) Nasiru Fudailu (business man) Alhassan Mahama Yayaha, alias mystical cloud, a resident of Dansoman, Amadu Yakubu (mobile money vendor), Haruna Osmanu (trader), Adams Alhasan, Fuseini Osman alias Black Smith and Fred Tetteh alias Walace have all been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery.
They have pleaded not guilty and have been remanded to reappear on November 16, 2020.
Background
Mr Hayford was shot on the Abeadze Dominase – Abeadze Duadzi – Mankessim Road while returning from a campaign trip of the area.
A witness, who spoke to MyNewsGh.com on the incident, said: “The attackers, who were not masked, asked us to lie down; some of us run to the bush. The gunmen immediately shot at the MP who was in his Land Cruiser at the time.
“And so after they had left we got closer to the MP who was groaning in pain and asked for water. He was not responding to my calls when I returned with the drink,” the witness recounted.
Mr Hayford was the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate in the Mfantseman Constituency for the impending election and a member of the seventh Parliament.