A police officer of the Ghana Police Service, Constable Smith Gyekyi, has been put before the Adabraka District Court and remanded into Police custody for two weeks for murder.

Constable Gyekyi, an off-duty ride-hailing driver, was arraigned on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, for allegedly shooting and killing one Stanley Ahazi over a fare disagreement. His plea on the provisional charge of murder was not taken, but the charge and brief facts were read to him in open court.

Chief Inspector Achana Apewah, the Police Prosecutor, prayed the court to remand the accused into Police custody to allow for further investigations. The Magistrate, Her Worship Ama Adomako Kwakye, has remanded him into Police custody. Constable Gyekyi, who appeared without a lawyer, will reappear on September 9, 2024.

Brief facts

Presenting the brief facts to the court, Chief Inspector Apewah said the accused, Smith Gyeki, is a Police Officer attached to the International Relations Directorate of the Ghana Police Service. He stated that the accused Officer was off-duty but engaging in ride-hailing operations. On August 18, 2024, at about 4:00 AM, information was received from the police control room that a male adult had been shot dead at the frontage of Koans Estate at Satellite.

Chief Inspector Apewah continued that DSP Adamu Muniru, 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. They found a male adult, age 25, named Stanley Ahadzi, lying down dead in a supine position with blood all over his body.

The Prosecutor stated that spot investigations revealed that No. 57953 G/Const. Smith Gyekyi (accused) of the International Relations Directorate, “on phone number 0547167140, 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 AM on that fateful day, August 18, the (accused) Smith Gyekyi lifted one Esther Owusua (a girlfriend of the deceased) – a witness in the case – from Ablekuma Joma to Koans Estate area at Kuntunse Satellite. Esther Owusua lost direction to her destination and called Stanley Ahadzi (now deceased) on the phone to meet them at Koans Estate gate.

Disagreements ensued over the fare charged, and the Prosecutor said Constable Gyekyi (Accused) got annoyed, pulled his sidearm, and shot Stanley Ahadzi (deceased) without any provocation.

DCOP Arhin Kwesi Annor, the Regional Commander, and ACP Nana Kwaku Duah subsequently arrived at the scene and gave directions. The Regional Crime Scene Team, led by Ishaku James, processed the scene, and the body of Stanley Ahadzi (deceased) has been taken to the Police Hospital Morgue for preservation, awaiting autopsy. While Constable Smith Gyekyi (accused) surrendered himself to the police at Amasaman and was detained, his pistol was retained for investigation.