A police officer, General Corporal Robert Katey Koranteng, has been charged with murder over the death of 20-year-old Central University law student Ivan Apprey Baidoo.
Koranteng, 34, appeared before the Adabraka District Court in Accra on Tuesday, September 15, in connection with the August 27 incident on the Tema Motorway.
The prosecution alleges that Koranteng, who was on traffic duty at the UPSA intersection, pursued a Yango motorbike after its rider, Samuel Wesley Arthur, allegedly jumped a red light.
According to the prosecution, the officer continued the pursuit after the rider failed to stop and later kicked the moving motorcycle after the Old Tollbooth on the Tema Motorway.
The motorbike reportedly went out of control and crashed into a concrete barrier, leaving Baidoo and Arthur injured.
Baidoo was rushed to the Tema General Hospital by Good Samaritans but was pronounced dead on arrival. Arthur survived and was treated before being discharged.
A postmortem examination attributed Baidoo’s death to haemorrhagic shock caused by blunt trauma to the chest and abdomen.
The prosecution further alleges that Koranteng did not stop to provide or arrange immediate assistance after the crash.
The Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department took over the case on September 8, leading to Koranteng’s arrest on September 12 and his subsequent arraignment.
He has been charged with murder under Section 46 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29).
The Police Service had earlier interdicted the officer following preliminary investigations, while the Police Professional Standards Bureau is separately examining his conduct.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding Baidoo’s death are continuing.
