Suale murder suspect arrested, attempts bribing police with GH¢200,000

The Accra Regional Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a suspect in connection with the murder of Ahmed Hussein-Suale, an undercover journalist and associate of the investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas of the investigative firm, Tiger Eye PI.

Mr Hussein-Suale was shot and killed by two unknown assassins who are alleged to have monitored his movements and laid ambush on a motorbike at a spot at Madina on January 16, 2019.

Confirming the arrest, the acting Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Kwaku Boadu-Peprah, said the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team of the command apprehended the suspect in a targeted police operation.

The suspect, Abdul-Rashid Meizongo, 29, was arrested at a spot close to the West Hills Mall on the Mallam-Kasoa Highway about 10:30 a.m.

Mr Boadu-Peprah said Meizongo, in the process of his arrest, attempted to bribe the arresting officers with GH¢200,000, which they declined.

Meizongo, who was in the custody of the Accra Regional Police Command at the time of filing this report, was being prepared to be taken to the Headquarters of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for further investigations.

Concern

Family members of the late Hussein-Suale have expressed concern over the inability of the police to arrest and prosecute the suspected murderers of their relation.

A brother of Hussein-Suale, Mr Alhassan Yunus, had indicated that the family, on its own, had investigated, identified, tracked down and arrested the suspected killers at two separate locations in Accra and handed them over to the police.

He said one of the suspected killers was arrested at the Madina Ritz Junction and handed over to the Madina Police, but the Madina Police said the case was beyond them and so the suspect was later transferred to the Police Headquarters.

The other suspect was arrested at Abolo Pub, near Kotobabi.

Mr Yunus, who said he had personally taken part in the arrest of the two persons suspected to have shot and killed Hussein-Suale, added that one of them was set free by a police patrol team.

He said the family was told by the patrol team that an order had come from above that the suspected killer be set free and that was done, despite the effort and stress the family had put in tracing the suspects.

Recall

However, the Director General of the CID, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mrs Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo-Danquah, during a press conference on April 2, 2019, said 13 suspects had been questioned, including Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, the MP for Assin Central, and Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in connection with the murder of Hussein-Suale.

She also stated that one suspect was on remand assisting the police in investigations into the murder.

She explained that the suspect who was handed over to the police patrol team at Abolo Pub was set free on March 20, 2019 because people at the drinking bar where he was caught had prevented the only policeman at the spot from arresting him and for fear of his (policeman’s) safety, he had to let the suspect go because other officers he had expected to aid the arrest had not shown up.

But Ahmed Suale’s family discounted the CID boss’ claim, revealing that against severe danger, they stormed the Abolo Pub on March 17, 2019 and arrested the suspect, with the help of people in the area, and handed him over to a four-member police patrol team.