Police Probe Achimota Murder Case

Frank Owusu-Darko The Police Administration has started investigations into the circumstances that led to the death of Frank Owusu-Darko, who was allegedly murdered and dumped in a swimming pool at New Achimota. Frank was said to have gone to the De Temple Social Centre, meters away from his house to swim but never returned home alive. The deceased was later found at the bottom of the De Temple swimming pool the next day, with his neck broken. Chief Inspector Joseph Benefo Darkwah, the Public Relations Officer, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, told DAILY GUIDE that the case was transferred from the Mile 7 police station, under which jurisdiction the incidence happened, to the headquarters last Tuesday, for thorough investigations to begin. He said a team of professional investigators have already been dispatched to the scene to begin their work. Describing the matter as a murder case, Inspector Darkwa noted that the headquarters is the right place to investigate such cases since it has the sophisticated gadgets and expertise to get to the bottom of the matter than the district and divisional levels. “We have the expertise, and the facilities to do more forensic investigation into murder cases and the Police will make sure to contact stakeholders such as pathologist, and others to help us in our investigations.” He said the Police would only order the body for burial after an intensive examinations has been conducted on it, as well as being furnished with sufficient explanation on the result of the autopsy report. “We will need the body for thorough examination so that if there is any foul play as people suspect, the perpetrators could be brought to book,” he added. Stressing further, Inspector Darkwah said no person had been arrested over the case. “We the Police will not base our investigations on hearsay, we will investigate to the bottom of the case and if any person is found foul, the law will take its course.” He therefore assured the parents of Frank Owusu-Darko, who had just completed Junior High School and preparing for SSH, and the public to exercise patience and assist the police in their investigations. It will be recalled that a 15-year-old boy, Frank Owusu-Darko, was mysteriously found dead beneath a swimming pool of De Temple Social Centre at new Achimota on August 8, 2009. An autopsy report suggests that Frank died of ‘strangulation’. According to the report signed by a pathologist at the Police Hospital, the intermediate cause of death was a “completely broken neck”. As a result, the family believes that Frank’s body might have been dumped into the pool after he was murdered. By Linda Tenyah