Late Fijai Taxi was killed by police officers, court rules

The Sekondi High Court 3 today, has ruled that the late Fijai Taxi driver who was alleged to have committed suicide by hanging was rather killed by police officers.

Mr Joseph Enstie, 53, a taxi driver stationed at the Fijai taxi rank was arrested by 3 police officers for an alleged traffic offence at the Effia-Nkwanta Police barrier on December 25th, 2021.

He was pronounced dead the next day by the police and according to their reports, he committed suicide with his jeans trousers whiles in police cells.

The court presided over by Justice Sedinam ruled that the deceased did not die by hanging and the attorney general should take on the case and interdict all police officers who are connected to the death of the Mr Joseph Entsie.

The lead counsel for the family, Lawyer Ebo Donkor speaking to Skyy News said since the deceased was murdered by the police officers, the family is entitled to compensation.

The Police officers involved in the case:

On Friday, June 24th, the four police officers who were ordered to appear before the court and give their testimony to be used as evidence to set out the facts of the alleged crime were General Corporal Kevin Makafui, General Lance Corporal Osei Yamoah, General Lance Corporal Larrasi (Name withheld) and Sergeant Silvester Worlanyo.

Three (3) of the witnesses, General Lance Corporal Osei Yamoah, General Corporal Kevin Makafui and the 3rd witness (name withheld) were police officers who had an encounter with the deceased taxi driver at the Effia-Nkwanta barrier on that very day, December 25th, 2021, and Sergeant Sylvester Worlanyo was at the counter when the deceased was brought into the Sekondi Police Station as a suspect.

Background:

On December 25, 2021, the late Joseph Entsie was arrested and detained in custody at the Sekondi Central Police Station for allegedly breaking traffic rules.

The driver was later pronounced dead while in police custody on the same day. The police announced to the family that their relative committed suicide whilst in custody and that caused his death.

The body was then deposited at the Effiankwanta Regional Hospital Morgue and later transferred to a mortuary at Funkoe.

A coroner ordered an autopsy to be conducted to ascertain the real cause of the death of the taxi driver.

From this, a pathologist at the Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital known as Dr Erskine on January 10, 2022, conducted the examination.

According to the family, the pathologist communicated to them that the real cause of death of their relative was not a result of hanging as alleged by the police.

The lawyer indicated that the family is demanding the full autopsy report from the pathologist.