Mankessim murder suspects remanded in police custody
The two accused persons in the Mankessim murder case have been remanded in police custody.
They are the Tufohen of Ekumfi Akwakrom, Christopher Ekow Clark Quansah alias Nana Clark and a self-styled pastor, Michael Darko.
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They were arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively by the police in connection with the death and secret burial of Georgina Asor-Botchwey at Mankessim in the Central Region.
The police arraigned the two at the Cape Coast Magistrate Court on Thursday morning for the court to remand them so as to enable them conduct further investigations into the case.
The plea of the accused persons were not taken.
The court remanded them to re-appear on October 4, 2022.
Read also: Mankessim: Chief and pastor arrested in suspected murder case
Identified as Georgina Asor-Botchwey, she was said to have gone missing last week.
This was after she travelled from Yeji in the Bono East Region to Cape Coast with the intention of attending an admission interview at the Ankaful Nursing school in Cape Coast.
It was the pastor, who reportedly after his arrest in connection with the case, led police to the spot where she was buried.
The body of Georgina in her mid twenties was exhumed Tuesday (September 20, 2022) in an uncompleted building at Esikafoambatem at Edumadze, a suburb of Mankessim.
Preliminary information gathered indicates that the pastor had sent the deceased who was in Mankessim for a visit to a drinking spot owned by Nana Clark to buy her a drink.
After the drink, Georgina was taken to one of the rooms near the pub also owned by Nana Clark to rest there since she looked tipsy.
The pastor is said to have confessed to the police after which he led the police to the place where the body was buried.
The body was exhumed from the chief’s house where her bag, shoes, and other belongings were also found.
Police investigations are still ongoing.
In court on Thursday, Graphic Online's Central Regional correspondent, Shirley Asiedu-Addo reports that, presenting the facts of the case at the court presided over by Bernice Mensima Ackon, the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Daniel Gadzo said the two had separately admitted to the police they had killed Georgina Asor-Botchwey for money rituals.
DSP Gadzo told the court that the deceased lived at Yeji in the Bono East Region and had travelled to Cape Coast as part of admission procedures to the Ankaful Psychiatric Nursing School.
She arrived in Cape Coast on September 8, 2022 and had called Darko who is also her sister’s boyfriend to inform him of her arrival.
Pick up
DSP Gadzo said Darko arranged and picked Georgina up on September 9, around midday, from the Ankaful Psychiatric Nursing School in a taxi, sent her to Pedu junction in Cape Coast where the two joined Nana Clark who was waiting there in his Benz car with registration number GT 8686-C.
Nana Clark then drove to Akwaakrom where he seized the deceased's mobile phone and locked her up in a room.
He said the accused persons then went to Esikafoambantem, a suburb of Mankessim where they dug a hole in an uncompleted story building belonging to the chief.
Murder
DSP Gadzo further told the court that the two accused persons then went back for the deceased and sent her to Esikafoambantem where Nana Clark allegedly hit the deceased.
He said Darko also allegedly held the neck of the deceased till she died.
He said the two then shaved the hair of the deceased, buried her in the already prepared grave and left the uncompleted storey building around 2am.
Complaint
DSP Gadzo said a complaint was lodged to the police by the brother of the deceased, Alfred Duodu.
He said police picked intelligence and started looking for the accused persons and, on September 19, 2022 arrested Darko at Anomabo where he admitted to the crime and subsequently led the police to where the deceased had been buried.
He told the court the police further picked intelligence and arrested Nana Clark at his hideout at Ekumfi Akwaakrom on Wednesday. He also admitted to the crime, the court was told.
DSP Gadzo therefore prayed the court to remand them to allow the police more time to conclude their investigations.
Read also: Woman in Mankessim was killed for money rituals - Police tells court