The Shop Manager at Max Buy Ghana Limited, a retailer of electrical appliances in West Hills Mall, Boafo Osei Kwame, has been acquitted of murder by the Sowutuom District Court.
The Attorney General’s Department recommended his release based on autopsy results from an incident on January 30 earlier this year.
Magistrate Stephen Tebiri executed the discharge following Police Prosecutor Inspector MK Kwakye’s notification to the Court about the fiat from the AG’s department instructing the accused’s release.
Postmortem report revealed that Shadrach Arloo, 33, (deceased) died from “Asphyxiation and obstruction of airway by a foreign body.”
Boafo Osei Kwame faced arrest on January 30, provisionally charged with murder for allegedly causing Arloo’s death by using a Taser.
After the post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death, the Attorney General’s Office recommended the accused’s discharge via a fiat.
Magistrate Stephen Tebiri executed the discharge following Police Inspector MK Kwakye’s notification to the Court, stating, “the fiat says the accused should be discharged.”
As of July 20, 2023, EIB Network’s Legal Affairs Correspondent, Murtala Inusah, notes the accused’s discharge during a court follow-up. Andrew Kudzo Vortia led the defense team.
Brief facts
According to the presented case details, the complainant is Bernard Boanor Denkyi, an Operations Manager at West Hills Mall in Weija. Boafo Osei Kwame, the accused, serves as the Shop Manager for Max Buy Ghana Limited, dealing in electronic appliances within the same mall.
The prosecution’s account states that on January 30, 2023, Police Sergeant Daniel Abeiku from the Visibility Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Headquarters, patrolled the mall.
During the patrol, he observed Shadrach Arloo, 33 (now deceased), and Ibrahim Seshi, a witness in the case, both wearing backpacks. The movement of the deceased and the witness raised suspicion, prompting the Police Sergeant to call the deceased for a backpack search.
The prosecution said, “The deceased opened the backpack, removed something wrapped in a black polythene back from the backpack and put 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.