The family of the late Tanoso Akwamuhen, Nana Owusu Kokor, who was murdered on his farm, has raised deep concerns over the handling of the case by the police, following what they describe as unlawful and confusing rearrests of suspects who have repeatedly been granted bail by two different courts.
Speaking on behalf of the Tentenano family during a press conference, a grandson of the deceased, Antwi Emmanuel, popularly known as Mutala, appealed to the police and all relevant authorities to ensure fairness and transparency in the ongoing investigations.
He explained that some relatives of the late Nana Owusu Kokor were arrested as suspects and have been in police custody for the past two months. According to him, although the family acknowledges the efforts of the police, they are troubled by the inconsistent manner in which the suspects’ case is being managed.
“I’m speaking on behalf of the Tentenano family in Techiman-Tanoso. The late Nana Owusu Kokor, who was murdered on his farm, was my grandfather. I appeal to the police and all authorities to do everything within their power to bring the culprits to justice.
“Some of our relatives have been arrested as suspects, and they have been in police custody for the past two months. I applaud the police for their efforts. However, the family is confused about how the matter is being handled.
He recalled that the suspects were first held in police custody for a week before being arraigned at the Tuobodom District Court, where the police prayed the court to remand them to facilitate further investigations. The court granted the request. However, when the suspects were returned to the same court, the police reportedly failed to present evidence, leading to their bail. Despite this, the suspects were immediately rearrested and sent to the Techiman Circuit Court.
“Those arrested were kept in police custody for a week before being taken to the Tuobodom District Court, where the police prayed the court to remand them to allow further investigations. We believe this was done in accordance with the law. The issue, however, is that when they were brought back to court, there was no evidence against them, so the judge granted them bail. But they were immediately rearrested and sent to the Techiman Circuit Court.
“At the Techiman Circuit Court, the prosecutors again requested that the suspects be remanded for two more weeks, and it was granted. Yet they still failed to present substantial evidence, and the judge granted them bail again. But once more, they were rearrested immediately after stepping out of the court.”
The family now fears that the suspects may have been transferred to Accra under unclear circumstances.
“What we are now hearing is that they have been transferred to Accra. As a bereaved family, it is our prayer that the real culprits will be arrested and made to face the full rigors of the law. However, we are unhappy with how the entire issue is being handled. We do not understand why, after being granted bail on two separate occasions by two different courts, they were rearrested, and now there are rumors of a transfer to Accra.”
The mother of the suspects also expressed her frustration, insisting that her children are innocent. She explained that they were only picked up after a social media post implicated them, yet they voluntarily went to the police station to assist in the investigation.
“I’m the mother of the suspects. I am not telling the police how to do their job, but I know my children are innocent. They were arrested because of a social media post, yet they willingly went to the police station themselves after seeing the post.
“They went there to assist the police in their investigations and even asked the police to invite the person who made the allegations on social media. So I want to ask: why would they go to the police station in the first place if they were truly guilty?”
She used the occasion to appeal to H.E. John Dramani Mahama and the authorities to intervene and help ensure justice for the family.
“I want to use your platform to appeal to H.E. John Dramani Mahama, the Inspector General of Police, and the Attorney-General to come to our aid and ensure that justice is served.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Tanoso Concerned Youth Association, Kofi Duro, has warned against attempts to link the matter to ongoing chieftaincy tensions in the area, calliing for fair and transparent handling of the matter.
“We all know what is going on in Tanoso. As the Secretary of the Tanoso Concerned Youth Association, I want the best for our community. What we are hearing is that the case is being turned into a chieftaincy issue, and we strongly condemn that.
“We, the Tanoso Concerned Youth Association, are appealing to the authorities to follow the case to its logical conclusion.”
