Elrad Salifu Amoako, the 16-year-old son of Bishop Salifu Amoako, was involved in a tragic accident that claimed the lives of two young girls. Visuals from the scene showed the minor driving at high speed when he crashed into another vehicle, which subsequently caught fire, resulting in the deaths of two occupants. Since the incident, several developments have emerged, drawing significant public interest in the case.

1. Controversial sermon

The General Overseer of Alive Chapel International Ministries, Bishop Salifu Amoako, expressed his frustration over the widespread attention his son's accident has received.

According to him, what happened was purely an accident as his son didn't set out to kill anybody.

In a video, Bishop Amoako stated, "It was an accident. My son did not carry a gun to go and kill somebody. My son involved himself in a terrible accident. I was not the one who did it. Neither his mother."

The pastor said this while addressing congregants during his Sunday church service on October 20, 2024, attributing the issue's attention to his popularity.

"It is because of my name, that is why the thing is going everywhere. If this car had hit an Okada, who is going to mention it? It is just because of my name. So let's see what the Lord will do," he remarked.

He further warned his church members against engaging in unnecessary discussions about the tragic accident that ended the lives of two young girls.

2. Police secure hospital where his son is

Meanwhile, Elrad Salifu Amoako is under heavy police protection at the hospital where he has been admitted and is receiving treatment after being involved in the tragic accident.

Police sources indicated that the heavy protection of the 16-year-old is intended to facilitate his immediate arrest once he is discharged from the hospital.

Meanwhile, Bishop Salifu Amoako, his wife Mouha Amoako, and Linda Bempah, a sales assistant, were arrested and charged with permitting an unlicensed person to drive. The High Court in Accra on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, granted bail of GH¢50,000 each to Bishop Salifu Amoako, his wife, Mouha Amoako, and Linda Bempah following their arrest on October 15.

3. Grandmother of a deceased speaks

The family of Justine Agbenu, a deceased victim in the accident involving Elrad Amoako, has accused emissaries of the Amoako family of being insensitive to their plight.

Speaking to Kofi Adomah in an interview, the grandmother of the deceased 12-year-old said a junior pastor of Bishop Amoako who reached out to their family to plead made insensitive comments.

“On Sunday, I was informed that one of them called my son-in-law, saying they wanted to come here. He told him that the issue was with the police so there was no need. His response was that ‘it has happened already,’” she stated when asked about her reasons for sending Bishop Amoako’s emissaries away.

She stated that she did not see any end in engaging the Bishop’s emissaries since the matter was in the hands of the police, hence her decision to send them away when they attempted to visit her family.

“What were they coming to do? I don't have an issue with them; the issue is in the hands of the police,” she said.

She asked that the Amoako family, including 16-year-old Elrad, who rammed into a car occupied by her granddaughter and others with his mother’s car, be made to face the full rigours of the law to serve as a deterrent. “The boy, he must face the law to the full extent. So that it will serve as a deterrent. If not, this trend will continue. Parents should be more responsible,” she stated.

4. Vigil for the deceased

A candlelight vigil was organized in honour of Maame Dwomoh Boateng and Justine Agbenu, two young women who tragically lost their lives.

The vigil, titled “All White Candlelight Vigil,” took place on Friday, October 18, 2024, at 5:00 PM.

The ceremony invited loved ones and the community to gather in their memory at the accident site.

5. Burial and funeral for one of the deceased

The family of Maame Dwomo Baah received her mortal remains from the police for a private burial on Saturday, October 19, 2024, exactly one week after the tragic accident occurred.

In a video, the family members and sympathizers gathered at the premises in their numbers where the body of the late Maame Dwomoh Boateng was being held, amid tears and mourning.

The tragic accident has left the families of both deceased girls and the entire Ghanaian community in a state of mourning.

AM/BB

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