Court remands plumber over alleged murder

The Kaneshie District Court has remanded a plumber accused of allegedly murdering Henry Kwame Gyan, the Registrar of the Duayaw-Nkwanta Traditional Council in the Ahafo Region.The plea of Enoch Sarpong, 28, was not taken.He will be brought back to the Court presided over by Nana A.A. Owusu Omenyo, on May 28, 2024.His alleged accomplice, James Kwabena Mensah, also known as 'P.M.', is now at large.Gyan, the deceased, was thought to have died because of the two's plot to injure him.Detective Inspector Josephine Asondek told the court that Sarpong, a plumber, was also a tenant and caretaker of the deceased's house at Ashalaja.She said on December 25, 2023, the deceased went to his house at Ashalaja to inspect an ongoing construction works and was expected to return to Sunyani thereafter.Detective Inspector Asondek said the next day, Emmanuel Addo Armah, nephew of the deceased and the complainant tried reaching him on his cell phone but to no avail.Ampaw then went to the house where he met Sarpong, who told him that the deceased accomplished his mission and returned to Sunyani on the same day.Sarpong further pointed a freshly dug spot to Ampaw and said the deceased had asked him to undertake plumbing works for him.The Prosecution said Ampaw then reported the missing uncle to the police for investigation.On January 13, 2024, curious relatives of the deceased paid a visit to the Ashalaja house and examined the recently dug area to verify if Sarpong's claim of plumbing work was true.The Court heard when they started digging the spot, Sarpong who realised that he would be exposed, sneaked out of the house and went into hiding.According to Detective Asondek, the family covered up the unpleasant smell that began to emanate from the location, and the matter was reported to the Ghana Police Service's Homicide Unit for further investigation.On January 23, 2024, the body was exhumed by the police and deposited at the police morgue for preservation and autopsy.The following day, the body was autopsie d by Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr. Osei Wusu Afriyie, Pathologist Consultant of the Police Hospital, who determined the interim causes of death to be asphyxiation, aspiration of stomach contents, blunt head damage, and suspected assault.Inspector Asondek told the court that Sarpong was apprehended after investigations showed he was in the Goaso in the Ahafo region.In his cautioned statement, Sarpong admitted the offense, and named Mensah as his accomplice.Source: Ghana News Agency