Couple, 3 others arrested over murder of Fidelity Bank staff

The Accra Regional Police Command has arrested five suspects over the murder of another banker, Emmanuel Asante Akufo, at Odorkor in Accra.

The forty-one (41) year old banker, who worked with the Adabraka Branch of Fidelity Bank, was robbed and murdered on Tuesday by some men, who were hired by a caretaker, who also acted as landlord.

The suspects include David Boafo Daniels, 36 and his wife Juliet Korkor Kwaasi,  32. The rest are Sulley Issaka, 23, Nyamekye Kwasi alias Rasta Nyamke, 22 and Fati Issah alias Maame Yaa aged 25 years. Two other accomplices are said to be on the run.

Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Christian Tetteh Yohunu told journalists Thursday, that the Boafo Daniels and his wife Juliet in March, 2013 collected a sum of Gh¢5,000 from the deceased, who was then looking for an apartment to rent. They, however, failed to honour their part of the deal.

“The couple; David and Juliet failed to refund the money in spite of persistent pressure from Emmanuel Asante Akuffo. The two in the face of pressure, planned to teach Emmanuel a lesson,” DCOP Yehunu narrated.

The police chief said the couple later invited the deceased to come for his money, which he did. 

according to the commander, the other three suspects, who were in a Toyota RAV4 vehicle with registration number GT 1379 G, attacked the deceased with knife and a bottle in front of a drinking spot at Odorkor Tweneboah and robbed him, soon after he collected the money from David and Juliet.   

He said the deceased died later at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital after he was rushed there in a critical condition. The body is at the same hospital for preservation and autopsy.

The murder of Emmanuel brings to three, the number of bank staff bizarrely murdered within a spate of three months. 

32-year-old  worker of Stanbic Bank, Ms. Rosemond Nyampong was found dead at her residence at Spintex in December last year and so was 34-year-old Akosombo Branch Manager of the Zenith Bank,  Mr. Kwesi Sakyi Prah, who was shot and killed in his home at Tema also in December.

But the Regional Commander has assured the public, “particularly the banking community that the latest incident is not an attack directed at banking staff but purely robbery, as preliminary investigation revealed”.