Two employees of a borehole drilling company who allegedly participated in the lynching of a co-worker have been arrested by the Kwabenya District Police Command in Accra.
The suspects, Emmanuel Sodja, 47, a driver mechanic, and Anthony Akpenyo, 31, a telecommunications engineer, as well as two others who are on the run, are said to have accused Bright Kofi Amofa, now deceased, of stealing GH¢5,000 belonging to one of them.
The four suspects were alleged to have subjected Amofa, aged 24, to severe beatings for stealing the money.
The names of those on the run have not been disclosed.
Labolabo village
Briefing the Daily Graphic, the Kwabenya District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police Ms Victoria Yamoah, said the five worked with Meridian Water Drilling Company based at Kwabenya.
She said on July 29, 2014, the suspects and Amofa travelled to Labolabo in the Eastern Region to drill boreholes.
While in the village, it was discovered that GH¢5,000 belonging to Sodja had gone missing.
Since Amofa had left the site at that time, it was concluded that he had stolen the money and taken off.
However, Ms Yamoah said after days of searching for Amofa in vain, the four returned to Accra.
On August 1, 2014, she said, some residents of Labolabo who knew about the missing money arrested Amofa when he was spotted in the community and handed him over to the police.
Subsequently, Sodja was informed about Amofa’s arrest and so he went to Labolabo.
At the police station, Amofa refunded GH¢4,800 out of the GH¢5,000.
As a result, Sodja withdrew the case and the two agreed to settle matters amicably.
Cry for help
At 7:30 p.m. the same day, Amofa and Sodja arrived in Accra and while they were in the yard of the company, the four suspects claimed Amofa had wanted to run away and, therefore, subjected him to beatings.
In the course of the beatings, Amofa fell unconscious and was taken to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra for medical attention.
He was later pronounced dead at the Emergency Unit of the hospital.
Amofa’s wife, who had been informed about the withdrawal of the case and the arrival of her husband in Accra, went to the company’s yard in search of her husband but he was not there.
After several calls to his phone had shown that it was switched off, she inquired from some residents of the area, who claimed they had heard her husband shouting for help when he was being beaten by some of his co-workers.
They told her that the husband had been taken to the 37 Military Hospital in an unconscious state.
She reported the incident to the Kwabenya Police, who later heard that Amofa had died at the hospital.
On August 4, 2014, the two were arrested.
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Credit: Daily Graphic