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The autopsy report on the two murdered African Americans, Mamelina Diop and Nzinga Jaana, at Fihankra, near Akwamufie, has been concluded. 

The Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Commissioner of Police (COP) Prosper Kwame Agblor, who disclosed this to The Ghanaian Times, however, declined to give details.

He explained that the CID was awaiting the official report from the medical doctor who performed the post mortem examination, for onward submission to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice.

COP Agblor said once the autopsy had been concluded, their bodies would be released to their families or representatives.

Meanwhile, he said, his outfit was still investigating whether other people were involved in the crime.

COP Agblor said as directed by the court, Nana Obiri Yeboah, one of the accused in the case, had been sent to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital for examination following his mannerism which compelled the court to take the decision on his examination.

An Accra Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Veronique Manford, has remanded in police custody, six persons arrested in connection with the murder, explaining that it was to enable the police to conduct further investigations into the matter.

They include, Anokye Yaw Frimpong, a driver, Nana Appia-Nti, Chief of Appiakrom, and Nana Obiri Yeboah, a farmer, all Ghanaians.

The rest, all African-Americans, are Brenda Kareema Mohammed, a female pensioner, Yazid Alazim Mohammed, a businessman, and Mensah Kamauogogo, a surgeon assistant.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stephen Kwame Adjei, the prosecutor, told the court that the deceased, Mamelina Diop , 75, and Nzinga Jaana, 69, were pensioners from the American Civil Service and lived at the Fihankra settlement, near Akwamufie.

He said in 1997, some African–Americans in the diaspora decided to settle at Appiakrom and therefore acquired 218.5 acres of land in the town, which is now called Fihankra.

ASP Adjei said the group, in an agreement, reached with the people, promised to provide the community with schools, a hospital, a stadium, potable water and other basic amenities.

He said the leader of the group, Olumale Kwadwo Akpan, who installed himself chief of the area, started issuing indentures and collecting annual rent for lands allocated to the residents.

After his death in May 2009, his wife, Majewa Adoujokroke Akpan; his son, Goloi Osakwe Dwamena Akpan, and the two latest deceased persons, took over the management of the fund.

However, the three accused African-Americans revolted against that arrangement, and accused the Akpan family and the two deceased persons of fraud and mismanagement.

That resulted in the creation of a website where the Akpan families and the deceased were maligned to the diaspora, leading to a confrontation and a threat to the lives of the two by the accused persons.

The prosecutor said in 2003, the Appia-Nti family filed a civil suit against the Fihankra community at the Koforidua High Court over the acquisition of the land, for not fulfilling the arrangement.

The three accused African-Americans and others yet to be arrested, threw their support behind the Appia-Nti family.

According to ASP Adjei, they (African-Americans) held a meeting with Nana Appia-Nti III, one of the accused persons, and his elders to find a way of evicting the Akpan family from the community.

Last month, the three African-Americans, and others now at large, met with Nana Appia-Nti and his elders to remind them of their earlier agreements and promised to have better negotiations with them and also build a storey building as palace for Nana Appia-Nti if their opponents were evicted.

ASP Adjei said the three African-Americans conspired with Anokye Yaw Frimpong, Nana Appia-Nti and Nana Frimpong, now at large, to move into the community to monitor the activities of the Akpan family and the deceased.

For that purpose, the accused rented an apartment for Anokye Yaw Frimpong, Nana Obiri Yeboah and Nana Frimpong, into which they moved about nine months ago.

He said on May 5, Mamelina Diop and Nzinga Jaana were reported missing and a report was made to the Akosombo Police.

A search led to the discovery of a fresh grave about 150 metres to Anokye’s maize farm. On May 6, an order was obtained from a district court at Akosombo, and the spot was dug under the supervision of a medical officer from the Volta River Authority (VRA) Hospital at Akosombo.

He said, the bodies of the two women which were found in a shallow grave, were exhumed and deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital mortuary in Accra for autopsy.

ASP Adjei said investigations led to the arrest of the accused, and Anokye Yaw Frimpong confessed to the crime, while the others denied their involvement.