Prime News Ghana

How alleged killer of MP was arrested

By Kwasi Adu
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The Accra Regional Police Command has arrested a man suspected to have killed the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, following a tip-off.

The suspect, whose identity is being withheld for now, was arrested in a special operation led by the Accra Regional Police Commander, Commissioner of Police (COP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare.

He has allegedly confessed that he stabbed the MP to death.

Three mobile phones, two of which were believed to belong to the late MP, were retrieved from the suspect.

At the time of going to press, the suspect had been handed over to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), whose officials worked with personnel of the Accra Regional Police to effect the arrest.

Police confirmation

“Details are still unfolding and we cannot go beyond the fact that the suspect has been arrested,” Dr Dampare confirmed to the Daily Graphic and said the police were still following up on other leads.

Dr Dampare also said the BNI would officially hand over the suspect to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) after interrogation and other due procedures had been followed.

Earlier arrest

Six persons were earlier invited by the police for questioning soon after the MP was pronounced dead at the Police Hospital in Accra.

Five out of the six persons were said to have been released on Wednesday.

Last Wednesday, the Police put a bounty of GH¢10,000 on the head of the MP’s killer and urged the public to offer credible information that could lead to the arrest of the assassin.

It is currently not clear if an informant had assisted in the arrest.

NPP’s reaction

The Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea, has commended the police for the swift nature of its investigations, which had culminated in the arrest.

Speculations

Meanwhile, bits of information picked up indicate that the tip-off leading to the arrest was provided by a Member of Parliament.

The information indicates that the MP had a relationship with someone who knew about the plot by the suspect to kill someone.

The MP’s friend, it is believed, after hearing about the murder of Mr Danquah-Adu, informed the MP that the suspect was a petty thief and an ex-convict who had benefited from the Justice for All Programme.

Sources indicate that the MP’s friend had told him that the suspect had spoken about his intention to murder a high-profile person but it was only after the murder that the suspect’s friend was able to put things together. He therefore notified the MP and the suspect was arrested.

Other tips for arrest

Other sources said after the suspect had allegedly killed the MP, he sent the phones he picked from the bedroom of the MP to a repairer to decode them for him.

It is said that during the decoding processs, the repairer saw pictures of former President J.A.Kufuor with the deceased MP and other leading members of the NPP on the phones.

The sources said, suspicious of the suspect’s activities, the repairer reported the matter to the police and the suspect was arrested.

Background

The 50-year-old MP was attacked by unidentified assassins at his residence at Shiashie, near the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange in Accra.

He was stabbed multiple times during the attack at about 1:45 a.m.

The assassins used a ladder to help them scale the wall and get into the bedroom of the MP.

There were bloodstains on the walls and footprints, which were believed to be those of the attackers, in the backyard.

NPP calls for swift investigation

Scores of politicians, including the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Edward Doe Adjaho, and the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, appealed for thorough investigations into the death of the MP.

The police subsequently assured the general public of its commitment to get to the bottom of the unfortunate incident.

(Via: Graphic.com.gh)