The decomposing body of a 23-year-old man who was buried 3 days ago has been exhumed and is currently being dried in the sun at Assin Aniakagya in the Assin North District of the Central Region.
The deceased, Kofi Adams, died after he allegedly drowned in an abandoned galamsey pit.
Information gathered indicates that the family of the deceased and the community elders buried him immediately according to Islamic customs before informing the police.
Upon reporting to the police, the family and elders of the community were allegedly ordered to exhume the corpse and submit it to the mortuary to make way for an autopsy and further investigations to unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of the deceased.
In reference to the police order, without an exhumation order and environmental health directives, the members of the community exhumed it and sent it to the mortuary but it was rejected by the mortuary men due to the state of decomposition.
They returned the body to the community and left it in the sun amid dangerous health implications.
When the community could no longer contain the smell emitting from the remains, they sent it back to the cemetery, placed it in the grave, and left it uncovered.
The uncle of the deceased, Prince Owusu Yeboah, a.k.a. J.J., pleaded with the police to allow the family to bury the body to pave the way to address the issues surrounding the cause of death later.
Meanwhile, angry residents are threatening to burn it if the police refuse to allow them to bury it.