Police officer in Koans Estate case charged with murder

The Adabraka District Court has remanded the 25-year-old police officer who allegedly shot a man at Koans Estate in Kuntunse Satellite  over ride-hailing fare disagreement into police custody. 

Constable Smith Gyekyi has been slapped with the provisional charge of murder.

The prosecutor, Chief Inspector (C/Insp.) Achana Apewah, prayed the court presided over by Ama Adomako Kwakye to remand the accused into Police custody to enable the police conduct further investigations into the matter.

Constable Gyekyi was subsequently remanded into police custody. He is to re-appear on September 9, this year. 

Prosecution’s facts

The facts before the court are that Constable Gyeki was off-duty but engaging in ride-hailing operations.

On August 18, 2024, at about 4:00 a.m, the prosecutor said the police control room received information that a male adult had been shot dead at the frontage of Koans Estate at Satellite.

C/Insp. Apewah told the court that DSP Adamu Muniru, the Adjen Kotoku Crime Officer; and ASP Agnes Aboagye, the Night Monitoring Officer, upon receiving the information, visited the scene with Investigator D/PW Insp. Leticia Asiedu.

He added that the team found a male adult, Stanley Ahadzi, aged 25, lying dead in a supine position with blood all over his body.

The Prosecutor disclosed that spot investigations revealed that  Constable Gyekyi  was driving a Matiz private car (with registration) No. GW 6459-21, operating as a commercial vehicle.

He further told the Court that at about 3:00 a.m that day, the accused picked up one Esther Owusua, a witness in the case, from Ablekuma Joma to the Koans Estate area at Kuntunse Satellite.

Owusua, according to the prosecution, lost direction to her destination and called Stanley Ahadzi (now deceased) on the phone to meet them at Koans Estate gate.

“The deceased arrived, but there was disagreement with the fare charged. In the course of the argument, the accused got annoyed and pulled his sidearm. He gave a warning shot and later shot the deceased to death,” the prosecutor said.

He added that the accused person reported himself at the Amasaman Divisional Police Station where he was arrested and detained. During investigation, he said the accused admitted the offence and was charged with the offence and put before the court.