A 43-year-old soldier, WOII Dzisenu Ben, has been remanded into police custody by the Ashaiman District Court in connection with the alleged murder of a 45-year-old man, Abdul Shaban, at Mawugbedzibe near Afienya.

WOII Dzisenu has been charged with murder, contrary to Section 46 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), but his plea was not taken when he appeared before the court.

The court, presided over by Derick Parden Eshun, directed that the accused remain in police custody and return to court on August 27, 2026.

The prosecution, led by Inspector Henry Tetteh Nartey, told the court that the incident was reported to the Afienya Police Station on August 23, 2025, by WOII Dzisenu and WOI Yamoah Mark, both of the Base Ammunition Depot (BAD), Michel Camp.

According to the prosecution, the two soldiers went to the police station to report an incident that had occurred while they were on their landed property at Mawugbedzibe.

Inspector Nartey said the soldiers told the police that an unidentified man had attacked WOII Dzisenu and attempted to take his M16 rifle from him. The prosecution said the alleged attack resulted in the soldier firing the weapon at the man.

Police officers subsequently accompanied the two soldiers to the location, where they found Shaban lying lifeless on the ground.

The deceased was said to have sustained a suspected gunshot wound to the upper chest, close to the neck. He was pronounced dead, after which his body was conveyed to the Tema General Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

The prosecution further told the court that the M16 rifle, identified by number 000470-11, together with its magazine and ammunition, was recovered and retained by the police for investigative purposes.

A post-mortem examination was later carried out by Dr Eric Dumfeh, a pathologist at the Tema General Hospital. The examination established that Shaban's cause of death was a perforating gunshot wound to the heart.

Investigators also recovered a bullet from the deceased's body and submitted it to the Police Forensic Laboratory for ballistic examination.

According to the prosecution, the pathologist's report showed that the characteristics of the wound were consistent with a near-contact, angled gunshot wound. The report further suggested that the shooter was positioned at a higher level than the victim when the shot was fired.

The court was also informed that both WOII Dzisenu and WOI Yamoah Mark later gave written investigation caution statements in the presence of an independent witness.

Inspector Nartey said the police subsequently duplicated the case docket and forwarded it to the Attorney-General's Office for advice.

After receiving the Attorney-General's advice, the police formally charged WOII Dzisenu with murder and brought him before the Ashaiman District Court.

The court subsequently ordered that WOII Dzisenu be remanded in police custody, with the case adjourned to August 27, 2026.

The allegations against the soldier have not yet been determined by the court, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.