The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has dispatched officers from the Police Intelligence and Professional Standards Bureau (PIPS) to Yamfo and other communities in the Ahafo Region to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a nurse in the area.
The PIPS unit, tasked with probing allegations of misconduct and ensuring accountability within the Ghana Police Service, was activated following the death of 30-year-old Richard Antwi Agyei, a nurse at the Yamfo Health Centre.
Agyei was allegedly assaulted by police officers after his reported arrest at a known Indian hemp smoking and trading site in the community.
He was later pronounced dead at the Yamfo Health Centre. Another resident, who was reportedly shot by military personnel during an attempt to disperse angry residents, is currently receiving treatment at the Sunyani Regional Hospital.
The violent incident occurred on Friday, April 4, after a group of irate youth stormed the Yamfo Police Station, where the accused officers — allegedly from Duayaw-Nkwanta — had taken refuge.
The youth, incensed by the news of Agyei’s death, attempted to set the police station ablaze.
Last Friday, the PIPS team took statements from key individuals, including Nana Gyamfi Kumanini, leader of the Yamfo Youth Association, the Station Officer, identified eyewitnesses, and the Medical Doctor at the Yamfo Health Centre. The suspects were also invited to give their statements.
Additionally, the team met with the Ahafo Regional Police Commander, DCOP James Annor, and had earlier collected the official statements from the family of the deceased in Kumasi.
Sources indicate that the investigative team will engage a pathologist to perform a post-mortem examination to establish the exact cause of death. A family representative will be present during the procedure. Once the examination is complete, the body will be released to the family for burial and funeral rites.
The post-mortem report will be integrated into the broader body of evidence collected, and the final findings will be submitted to the Attorney General’s Office for legal assessment and advice on potential charges.
