The body of a US citizen of Ghanaian origin has been discovered in a room in Takoradi, a city in the Western Region of Ghana.
The 72-year-old man, identified as Anthony Wolfgang Hammond, was found dead in his kitchen after neighbours noticed a foul smell and houseflies coming from his two-bedroom apartment. He had been living alone in the rented accommodation for the past three years.
The Assembly Member of the area, Joana Barton Oduro, confirmed the incident to 3news.com. She said that the landlord broke into the room and realised that Mr Hammond was dead. His microwave was left open beside his body.
She added that the police were called and the body was taken to the Takoradi Government Hospital. She said that they believed he died about two weeks ago.
“We are supposed to bury the body looking at its decomposing nature but we have still not identified his relatives and so we have pleaded with the hospital to help us keep the body for some time whilst we keep searching for his family members,” she said.
She also said that a search in his room revealed some items, including passport pictures, laptops, phones, and a passport indicating that he was a US citizen.
“His phone has been switched on but nobody has called him since and all the contacts we have seen don’t relate to any close friend or relative. We realised he tried to register for a Ghana Card and on the registration sheet his mother’s name is captured as Agnes Prah and Anthony Hammond as his father but they are all deceased,” she said.
She described Mr Hammond as a quiet person who did not interact with anyone in the house. He had also not been seen with any friend or relative since he moved in three years ago.
“He is the quiet type who does not relate to anybody in the house. He has also not been seen with a friend or relative in the house he rented three years ago. We also found passport pictures and a passport indicating he is now a US citizen,” Madam Barton Oduro added.
The Assembly Member said that they had his passport picture in their possession and appealed to anyone who knew him or his family to contact them.