The Police has said that the slain MP for Mfantseman, Ekow Quansah Hayford could have indeed been murdered by suspected armed robbers as the suspects who stole his mobile phone were traced to a Kumasi black market.
Six suspects were today remanded over the murder after the MP’s phone, a Samsung Galaxy A50, was traced to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region where it had been sold on the black market.
Alhasan Abubakar alias Fulani, a phone repairer; Nasiru Fudailu, a businessman; Alhassan Mahama Yaya, alias Mystical Cloud, a resident of Dansoman; and Amadu Yakubu, a mobile money vendor, along with Haruna Osmanu, a trader, and Adam Alhasan have all pleaded not guilty.
The Accra Circuit Court presided over by Evelyn Asamoah, remanded them into police custody to reappear on October 30, 2020.
According to Chief Inspector Seth Frimpong, Nasiru Fudailu was the one in possession of the phone when the handset was traced. He told the police that he had bought the device for ¢750 from Alhassan Abubakar.
He then led the police to Kumasi Abubakar at Kumasi Akwatialine. After he was picked up, Abubakar told the Police that he had also bought the phone from Mohammed for ¢650.
The Police has not yet traced Mohammed, however, investigations led to the arrest of Alhassan Mahama Yaya, Amadu Yakubu. Haruna Osmanu and Adam Alhassan.
Giving the facts of the case, Chief Inspector Seth Frimpong narrated that on October 9, 2020, the police received information that armed robbers, numbering about six had mounted barriers on the Abeadze -Dominase Mankesim road.
The Police responded and upon the arrival, they found several vehicles parked with a number of victims wounded.
Among the victims were Patrick Asante a KIA Truck driver, and Uncle Isaah the late MP’s driver who were seriously injured. But the Mfantseman MP was killed after he reportedly identified himself and infuriating the supposed armed robbers. The robbers reportedly retorted that he was part of the government that was inflicting hardship on people. They pumped a number of bullets into him afterwards.
Chief Inspector Frimpong said eyewitnesses told the Police that the MP arrived with his campaign team onboard a Mitsubishi pickup branded in NPP colours.
The robbers fired at the vehicle, bursting the tires and causing the car to careen into a ditch.
The robbers quickly surrounded them and demanded for all their valuables while pointing a gun at one Stephen Allan who they assumed was the MP. However, the Mfantseman MP owned up.
“So they pounced on him and collected his Samsung Galaxy A50 mobile phone and demanded money,” the prosecutor said.
When the MP told them he did not have money on him at that moment, they grew angry. Their anger, however, became murderers when he explained that he had spent all his money on a campaign. They shot him.