Crime & Punishment of Monday, 27 July 2009

Source: GNA

Controversy rages as siblings' bodies are discovered in dugout.

Hohoe, July 27, GNA - There's public outcry over the manner in which the bodies of two siblings were hurriedly buried after they were found lifeless in a dugout at New Koloenu near Hohoe.

Zrukene Sulemana, 4, and Muniratu Sulemana, 2, died on July 10 this year, but were hurriedly buried the next day by their parents in keeping with Islamic tradition, following the swearing of an affidavit at the Kpando Magistrate Court for the release of the victims' bodies. However, suspicions of murder arose when residents of the community who had recovered the bodies of the two siblings from the dugout confirmed traces of a yellowish substance resembling biscuits in their mouths, and their stomachs failing the drowning test.

Mr Daniel Ablordey, Hohoe District Police Commander, who confirmed the incident, explained to the Ghana News Agency that Police in the cause of investigations received a coroner's inquest from the victims' parents requesting the release of the bodies for burial.

He corroborated that the bodies were recovered from the dugout before Policemen were called to the scene, and that their preliminary investigations identified the cause of death to be through drowning. 27 July 09