One of three members of a neighbourhood watch committee has confessed to killing an aeronautical engineer with Africa World Airlines at Akyem Asuboa in the Eastern Region in April 2018.

The prime suspect, Joseph Kwasi Effah aka Kwesi Tailor, according to the police confessed to killing Prince Kwabena Kumi with his locally manufactured single-barrelled gun.

The 34-year-old was murdered in April 2018 when he was visiting his family house at Akim Asuboa near Akim Oda in the Eastern Region.

Mysterious death on Good Friday

The aeronautical engineer was on his way to surprise his mother during the Easter holidays when the police in Akroso seized his vehicle.

Abena Osei Debrah, sister of the deceased said the police had alleged the deceased was driving under the influence of alcohol.

She told Joy News' Maxwell Agbagba that her brother was prevented three times from boarding a commercial vehicle to his destination. His body was later found in a ditch and the family suspected foul play.

Abena Osei Debrah said she called him but his phone had been switched off only to be called later and told that the deceased’s car had been sighted at the Akroso police station.

She said true to what the caller said, they found the car “with some goods he had bought for his mother, his phone and other belongings intact.”

“Everything was on him…his wallet, he also had money in the car itself that was parked at the police station. He was still wearing his jewellery, his shoes and clothes were all intact when I found him,” she added.

The lady said when they asked the police about his whereabouts, they were told, “when he got here [Akroso] he was drunk so we arrested him, took custody of the car and let him go.”

A farmer who had heard the gong-gong announcing and a search and rescue mission by the villagers informed them that he had seen a body in a ditch by the roadside.

“We got there and he was dead about five minutes’ drive from our mother’s house. A girl who sells oranges by the roadside said ‘after they took his car I was trying to get him into a public transport three times because I also come from the Asuboa, but the police prevented me from doing so’”, Abena added.

She said the police threatened the driver with arrest if he takes Mr Kwabena Kumi onboard his vehicle.

According to her, although they found “a lot of wounds [cuts] on the body” the family is waiting for a postmortem to proceed. 

Arrests and investigation

Five persons were initially arrested but were set free after investigations.

The police in the Eastern Region launched investigations to unravel how he was mysteriously killed on a Good Friday.

Upon interrogation, the suspect said on March 31, 2018, he was assigned together with Kwabena Abankwah to patrol the Asuboa bungalow and Cannan junction.

Disclosing how the engineer was killed, a police statement released by Sergeant Francis Gomado, acting PRO of the Eastern Region Police said, the suspect told them that, "on April 1, 2018, at about 01:35 am, they went to Dabiso junction to patrol but he heard the sound of a pig in a nearby bush and he shot at the direction but he later discovered having shot a human being".

The two of them abandoned the body out of fear and failed to disclose the incident to any other person.

On April 19, 2021, at about 10 pm, Kwabena Akwaah was also arrested.

According to the police, Mr Kwasi Effah also mentioned Kwasi Bosompem Mensah, 58, as the other accomplice who was on duty with them when he shot and killed the engineer.

The suspects, the police say are currently in custody assisting the police to conduct further investigations.