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Three traditional priests have been remanded over the murder of a Biochemist with the name Edward Quartey-Papafio at Adeiso in the Eastern Region.
The three traditional priests namely Christian Awoe, 40 (Power One), Famous Adukonu, 35 (Scorpion) and Yaw Azamate, 27 have been remanded by the Kaneshie District Circuit court presided by Rosemond Dodua Agyiri.
Background
The Prosecutor during the court proceedings said on January 17, this year, the complainant reported of her missing husband, Mr Quartey Papafio, from his residence at Kasoa on January 15, this year at about 0733 hours.
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He said on receipt of the complainant, the Police gathered intelligence that the deceased was last spotted at Gameli’s shrine located at the outskirts of Adu Kojo, which led to the arrest of Gameli and Adukonu on April 21, this year.
According to the prosecutor, a search conducted at Gameli’s shrine revealed two pump action guns, one single barrel gun, eleven packets of cartridges and seven other pieces of the cartridges from his room and two shovels were found hidden at the back of his house.
The Prosecutor said during interrogation, Gameli and Adukonu admitted shooting the deceased with the pump-action gun on January 15, this year and buried the corpse at the Shrine.
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He said on April 29, the two led the Police to Power One herbal/ Spiritual Centre where the Police identified the deceased’s grave in a make-shift cemetery behind Gameli’s house, adding that the scene was secured and an exhumation order was obtained from the court for that purpose.
The prosecutor said on April 30, this year, a Pathologist in the company of Senior Officers from the CID Headquarters, Personnel from the Crime Scene Management Team, Forensic Science Laboratory, Drone Operation and CID/ Headquarters Operational Team together with the two accused to exhume the deceased body.
He said when the grave was dug, the decomposed body of Mr Quartey Papafio was removed and it was discovered that his grave was among other graves in the accused’s cemetery, which was well fenced.
The Prosecutor said investigations disclosed that on December 29, Gameli, Adukonu and Azamete conspired to kill Mr Papafio, hence lured him with the assistance of one Buzanga, also a traditional priest at Kasoa, currently at Large.
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He said before the murder of the deceased, the accused intentionally, made a false statement to the deceased and succeeded in collecting ¢10,650 from him through mobile money under the pretext of conjuring ¢400,000 for him to establish his company.
He said Papafio was invited to the shrine on January 15, this year for purification and in the process Adukonu shot him with Gameli’s gun.
The Prosecutor added that the accused then drained quantity of Mr Papafio’s blood into a plastic gallon and hide same at the shrine while Gameli took possession of the deceased mobile phones and later buried the deceased with the assistance of Azamate and Michael who is also on the run.
The Prosecutor said Gameli and Adukonu allegedly confessed to the Police that the blood in the gallon was a mixture of Papafio and another victim who was also buried among other bodies at the cemetery.
He said the gallon of blood and the body were deposited at the Police morgue for examination.
Mr. Anani said the complainant later identified the two mobile phones of the deceased.
The prosecutor said the Pathologist gave the cause of death of Mr Papafio as hemorrhagic shock, traumatic amputation and unnatural severe chest pain.
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– gna