Sunyani, Aug. 26, GNA – A team of investigators from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), headquarters assisting investigations on the Abesim murder case has discovered and exhumed intestines of one of the victims, buried in a cocoa farm at Abesim, near Sunyani.
According to a press statement issued and signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kwesi Ofori, the Acting Director-General, Public Affairs explained the intestines had since been sent to Accra for pathological analysis and forensic examination.
“The investigation team has also worked around a septic tank and other places of concern for further examination”, it said, adding that the team had also retrieved two sharp cutlasses with bloodstains at the scene used by the suspect to commit the crime.
Tragedy hit the farming community in the early hours of Saturday, when Richard Appiah, a popular footballer, allegedly murdered his 12-year-old relative, with two others, and kept the body in a room.
Police have since retrieved and deposited the bodies of Louis Agyemang Junior, Stephen Sarpong, and a yet to be identified body at a private mortuary at Mantukwa in the Sunyani West Municipality, while Appiah had been in police custody.
Subsequently, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare ordered the police administration to deploy the team of investigators from the CID headquarters to assist in the investigations.
The Acting IGP who led a high-powered police delegation to visit and sympathise with the bereaved families over the weekend ordered the bodies to be sent to Accra, but it remained unclear whether the bodies had been sent.
“The acting IGP has directed the Counselling Department of the service to provide trauma-reduction therapy, counselling and other psychological support to the affected families whose relatives were murdered in Abesim and also to the police officers-in-charge of the investigations”, the statement added.
In furtherance of the directive, the statement explained ACP Phyllis Osei, the Director, Police Counselling Unit, and ASP Foster Nanewortor arrived in Sunyani on Tuesday, August 24, 2021, and visited the family of Agyemang, one of the murder victims to hold counselling session to help reduce the family’s trauma.
“This was held with all family members and neighbours who were present. Private counselling sessions were later held with parents, siblings and some key immediate family members who were adversely impacted by the murder”, it added.
The team later proceeded to visit the family of the second victim, Boateng, at Abesim Alaska junction and the same counselling sessions were held with the family, the statement indicated and assured the public especially the affected families and the people of Abesim of a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
GNA