The family of a 30-year-old man are demanding answers after their relative allegedly died in police custody at Jachie Pramso in the Ashanti Region.
The deceased, identified as Ernest Acheampong was reportedly arrested on Saturday, March 4, 2023, for stealing a mobile phone.
The police claim the suspect committed suicide by hanging while in their custody but his family has refuted it.
According to Kofi Owusu, a brother of the deceased, two police officers arrested Acheampong on the said date for phone theft.
In the process of the arrest, a struggle ensued between the suspect and the police which resulted in an injury on the face of one of the officers.
Kofi Owusu said the family’s attempts to secure bail for the suspect however proved futile.
“Our Uncle had gone to the station on Saturday to seek bail for him but was unsuccessful. They told us it was a weekend so they can’t admit him on bail. We were there on Sunday as well. The police again refused us bail on Monday 6th March since it was a holiday,” he narrated.
The family was called to the police station on Tuesday only to be informed of the death of their relative.
“My uncle went to the police cells to meet his lifeless body hanged dead. He had cuts on his chest but we don’t believe it was suicide. They said he used a bed sheet in the cells to commit suicide,” Kofi Owusu said.
He insists the police claim that their relative committed suicide will not be accepted by the family.
The body of the deceased has, however, been deposited at a morgue pending investigations.
Meanwhile, the police are yet to comment on the issue.