West Hills Mall murder: Shop manager freed over alleged murder of 33-year-old man
Shop Manager of Max Buy Ghana Limited, Boafo Osei Kwame, has been discharged by the Sowutuom District Court for the murder of 33-year-old Shadrack Arloo.
Magistrate Stephen Tebiri freed the accused after the police prosecutor, Inspector MK Kwakye, told the court that, per a fiat from the Attorney General’s department, the accused would be discharged.
The post-mortem report revealed that Shadrack Aloo (deceased) died from “asphyxiation and obstruction of the airway by a foreign body.”
Boafo Osei Kwame was arrested on January 30 and was on a provisional charge of murder after he was alleged to have used a taser to shock Arloo, leading to his death.
The magistrate, His Worship Stephen Tebiri, discharged him after Inspector MK Kwakye had told the court that “the fiat says accused should be discharged.”
It is reported that the accused was discharged as far back as July 20, 2023, upon a follow-up at the court.
Andrew Kudzo Vortia led the defence lawyers.
Background
Per the brief facts of the case put before the court, the complainant is Bernard Boanor Denkyi, an Operations Manager at West Hills Mall located at Weija.
The accused, Boafo Osei Kwame, is also the Shop Manager of Max Buy Ghana Limited, a dealer of electronic appliances located within the West Hills Mall.
The prosecution said on January 30, 2023, a police sergeant, Daniel Abeiku, stationed at the Visibility Unit of the Ghana Police Service Headquarters, detailed to perform duties at the Mall, was patrolling the Mall when he saw Shadrack Arloo, 33, now deceased, and Ibrahim Seshi, a witness in the case with a backpack at their back.
It said the deceased and the witness’ movement at the Mall became suspicious, and the police sergeant called Shadrack for him to search his backpack.
The prosecution said, “The deceased opened the backpack, removed something wrapped in a black polythene back from the backpack, put it in his back pocket, and started running outside.”
It said, “The policeman pursued the deceased and got him arrested.
The deceased struggled with the policeman when he was being handcuffed, and in the process, he removed the wrapped polythene bag from his back pocket and swallowed it.
“The accused person who also saw the incident rushed to the serene and removed his personal Taser and shocked the deceased.”
It said, “The deceased fell unconscious as a result and was rushed to the Somotech hospital within the Mall for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival by the medical doctor on duty.”
The brief facts stated that the “Accused was arrested and Taser retrieved from him” and “During the interrogation, the accused stated that he brought the Taser for self-defence.”
The prosecution stated that “the body of the deceased was carefully inspected, but no physical marks of assault were found.”
“The body was later removed and deposited at the Police Hospital for preservation and autopsy. Investigation ongoing,” the court was informed.