A 13-year old orphan of the Compassion Orphanage at Volo in the North Tongue district of the Volta Region, Jonathan Dzayikpor, has been killed by a driver who was learning how to drive. The corpse has since been dumped at the morgue at Trafalgar Hospital in Ho without attention for seven months.
According to reports, Jonathan had closed from Church on 29th December last year when a lady who was learning how to drive and allegedly going on a race with another car ran her car into the boy and five others from the same Orphanage.
Jonathan unluckily died as a results whiles the other five sustained various degrees of injuries.
Bribery Allegation
Speaking to the EveningMailgh.com, Grandfather of the deceased Mr. Kudzo Dzayikpor accused the police of ‘taking bribe’ from the unlicensed driver and leaving her out of the hook. He stated that because they are poor, the police has shown no interest in either prosecuting the lady(driver) in question or seeking for compensation for the families.
Mr. Dzayikpor said all attempts to get the body of the deceased for burial have proven futile since the police is not showing any interest in the matter.
He stated that aside from the neglect of the police, the driver involved since the incidence happened has also not visited any of the families.
Police Response
When the police was contacted on the matter, DSP Joshua Semanyoh, the district Police Commander of the Juapong District Police Command, confirmed the incidence. He stated that they have been calling on the family of the deceased to come for them to go for a corona’s report from the Trafalgar Hospital in order for the docket of the matter to be sent to the Attorney General’s Department for advise and prosecution but none of the family members have shown interest.
DSP Semanyoh stated that because there was a death involved, it is only the Attorney General’s Department that can advise for an action to be taken on the matter. When asked where the lady in question is, he stated that they are certain they can get her anytime the families show interest in the matter. “The surety who stood in for the lady is available and we can always get the lady when the need arises,” DSP Semanyoh told the EveningMailGh.com.
He confirmed that the lady in question is an unlicensed driver but denied the allegation that she was going on a race with another car. When asked whether he could confirm that the driver was over speeding, DSP Semanyoh said that will be difficult to determine since the police only got into the scene after the incidence had occurred.
He stated that though the initial investigator who was handling the case has died, a new investigator has been asked to take over and whenever the families are ready, they will work on the case.
When the EveningMailGh.com probed further on what the police will do if it is going to take like 10years for the family to show interest, the Police Commander stated that the grandfather of the deceased has told him that the Member of Parliament for the North Tongue Constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has shown interest in the case and so he is certain the case will proceed soon.
Insurance
On the five injured, the Police commander said they have been calling on the families involved so that processes for insurance claims can begin but all to no avail.
Contradiction
Speaking on the Ablakwa part, the grandfather of the deceased, Mr. Dzayikpor, stated that, it was the MP who rather made the Deputy National Youth Organiser of the NDC, Eric Edem Agbana contact them(the family) and not as the police told us. “I am a poor man in the village, where will I know Ablakwa and where am I going to get his contact.” The grandfather told us.
Okudzeto Ablakwa’s Interest
When Eric Edem Agbana, the Deputy National Youth Organiser of the NDC and aide to the MP, was contacted, he confirmed that the issue has come to the attention of the MP. He stated that Mr. Ablakwa had a hint of the issue just last week and decided to show interest in the matter. He added that when the MP contacted the Police commander, the Commander told him that he was not at the District when the incidence happened and was now following up on the issue.
This however contradicts what the same police commander told the EveningMailGh.com when he was contacted. According to the Commander, he was transferred to the District late last year but moved to stay in the area this year. DSP Semanyoh told us that before moving to stay in the District, he was always going to the District from Ho and so his movement did not have any effect on the case at all. “My movement has not affected the investigation in anyway.” He told us.
It is not clear why the Police commander will tell the MP a different story and tell us too a different story but Mr. Agbana stated that the MP, Mr. Ablakwa, has shown keen interest in the matter and is following up on the issue.
Appeal
Meanwhile, the families of the injured are also appealing to the MP to extend a helping hand to them since those injured are also currently in critical conditions.
Our checks indicate that at least two of the five who sustained serious injuries are currently living with disabilities.
The EveningMailGh.com is still following up on the issue and will bring readers up to speed on any further development.
Source: EveningMailGh.com
