Nkoranza: Police update families of riot death victims on outcome of investigations 

The Police on 14th April, 2023 met with the families of Victor Owusu, who died in a rioting incident in Nkoranza and a deceased robbery suspect Albert Donkor, to give them an update of Police Investigation into the occurrences of 25th April, 2022 that led to the death of the two.

At 12.35 am on 25th April, 2022, the Nkoranza Police received a distress call from a Pragia rider to the effect that some armed men had blocked the Nkoranza- Jema, highway and were robbing road users of their belongings.

The Nkoranza District patrol team, on board Service Vehicle No GP 226, was dispatched to the robbery scene and arrived at the scene around 1:00am. The robbers  opened fire at the police, who also returned fire. During exchange of fire, the Police service vehicle at the site was damaged.

The robbers then fled the scene into a nearby bush and were pursued by the Police team, which conducted a search in the bush and found BB cartridges and some mobile phones that were  retrieved as exhibits in the investigation.

Police identified the victims at the robbery scene and escorted them to the police station to assist police in the investigation.

At the  police station, one of the robbery victims gave a vivid description of the robbers who attacked them. He described the attire  worn by one of the robbers as a  grey-like hoodie. 

Police subsequently mounted Intelligence operations, and Police subsequently arrested Albert Donkor the deceased, in his house, and a grey-like hoodie was retrieved from his room.

The deceased, during interrogation also admitted that he had taken part in the robbery and mentioned some of his accomplices.

The deceased led the Police to the hideout of his accomplices, but they came under fire as they approached. The Police returned fire and after the exchange, Albert Donkor was found with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

A team of Investigators from Accra including a Crime Scene Management team was dispatched to Nkoranza to assist the local Police to investigate the incident and the leadership of the Police Service also followed up to Nkoranza to engage with the affected families and other key stakeholders in the community as part of the investigation process.

The Crime Scene was reconstructed and the relevant crime scene formalities were ascertained. The electronic devices including an ITEL W6004 A56 mobile phone retrieved at the scene were subjected to forensic examination.

As part of the investigation, it became necessary to conduct an autopsy on the body of deceased Albert Donkor. The Police offered the family the option of using an independent pathologist or a police pathologist  and the family opted for an independent pathologist  to conduct the autopsy.

The body of the deceased was therefore conveyed to the Korle Bu Teaching hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy. The autopsy was conducted on the 8th August, 2022 by the independent pathologist at the Korle-Bu Teaching hospital.

Police are still awaiting the autopsy report from the independent pathologist.

While awaiting  the report of the autopsy, the case docket was forwarded to the AG’s office for study and advice in line with investigation and prosecution procedures.

Key findings of the Police investigations into the death of Albert Donkor  confirmed that the deceased, Albert Donkor was one of the robbers, who mounted the road block and carried out the robbery on 25th April, 2022.

Analysis of the deceased Call Data Records [CDR established that the deceased was at the scene of robbery on 25th April, 2022.

One of the victims of the robbery also identified the deceased to the Police at the Nkoranza Police Station as one of the robbers who attacked them.

The deceased had also admitted to the robbery after he was identified by one of the victims.

The Forensic examination established that the ITEL mobile phone retrieved at the robbery scene belonged to the deceased.

An examination of the ITEL W6004 A56 mobile phone revealed the following;

• a picture of the deceased’s Voters’ ID card.

• a picture of a rugger pistol with serial number 310-23294 taken by the deceased himself with the weapon in his hands taken at 1:23 am on August 15th 2021

The forensic analysis [DNA] of the grey-like hoodie retrieved in the course of the investigation has confirmed that the hoodie belonged to the deceased.

The deceased led the Police to the hideout of his accomplices where they came under fire.

The Police therefore returned fire and after the exchange, the deceased was found with gunshot wounds and was rushed to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Investigation by the Police Professional Standards Bureau (PPSB)  into the incident revealed that despite the suspect’s involvement in the robbery, on hindsight if the Police officers who took the deceased to the hideout of his accomplices had acted a little more professionally, they might have been better able to protect him from the gunshots that led to his death.

The AG, after a study of the case docket, has advised that Police intensify their effort in apprehending the deceased’s accomplices to face justice.

ATTACK ON THE NKORANZA DISTRICT POLICE HEADQUARTERS AND THE SUBSEQUENT DEATH OF VICTOR KWADWO OWUSU

When the news of the death of Albert Donkor was announced to the family, some youth of Nkoranza, numbering about 400, armed with stones, clubs and other offensive implements, converged on the road in front of the  District Police Headquarters Nkoranza on 17/05/2022 and started burning lorry tyres and wood on the road and also blocked movement of traffic and pedestrians

The mob forcibly entered the charge office, broke into the cells and freed all the suspects in custody.

During the course of the protest, they also caused damage to  the following;

• Police Service Vehicle No.GP 3325 belonging to Nkoranza District Police 

• The Divisional Headquarters building 

• A VW Toureg with registration number GE1071-11 belonging to the District Commander

• One KIA SPORTAGE with registration number GW 7895V belonging to D/C/Inspector Frederick Appiah Korang,

• One exhibit TICO Taxi cab

•  One exhibit motor bike and LG Television for the District.

The mob also made away with two mobile phones and unspecified amount of money from the charge office.

A police reinforcement team responded to the incident and successfully restored law and order and a feel of security.

On the same day, eight (8) of the irate mob, namely Stephen Baffoe, Augustine Duodu, Eric Appiah, Iddrisu Ishmael, Rockson Donyina, Philemon Yaw, Raymond Agyei and Victor Kwadwo Owusu who sustained injuries were sent to St. Theresa’s Hospital, Nkoranza for treatment.

Unfortunately, one of the eight suspects, Victor Kwadwo Owusu was pronounced dead at the hospital. The body of the deceased was deposited at the same hospital morgue for autopsy.

Police therefore initiated investigations and necessary arrangements were made with his family for the post-mortem to be conducted.

The family were given the option to either get an independent pathologist to conduct the autopsy or for the autopsy to be conducted by the police and they agreed for the police to conduct the autopsy.

On the 6th June, 2022, the autopsy was conducted by a police pathologist in the presence of the father of the deceased, Mr. James Boamah and the investigator. The pathologist gave the verbal cause of death as severe head injury, fall and Brain Tumor. The pathologist again informed the family of the option to get a second opinion on the matter if they so wished

On the 23/06/2022, a copy of the written post mortem report together with a copy of the coroner’s form were handed over to the deceased family.

However, the family expressed dissatisfaction at the outcome of the Post mortem examination and requested for a second opinion.

On 27/11/2022 the body was conveyed to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital for re-examination and on the 30/11/2022 the deceased’s body was re – examined by an independent pathologist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. 

Police are yet to receive a copy of that post mortem report.

The body has since been released to the family for burial.

The key finding of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Victor Owusu is that he died as a result of a head injury, fall and brain tumor and not as a result of a gunshot.