Madina MP Francis Sosu

Lawyer for the man who died at the West Hills Mall, Francis Xavier Sosu says the Ghana Police Service’s publication on the cause of death of Shadrach Aloo is to absolve itself from criminal liability.

A post-mortem examination conducted on 7th February 2023, on the body of Shadrach Aloo who died at the West Hills Mall revealed that the suspect died of Asphyxiation and Obstruction of the airway by a foreign body.

The Police Pathologist retrieved from the throat of the deceased, eight (8) zipped bags containing dry leaves suspected to be narcotic drugs tied in a piece of black polythene.

The retrieved, suspected narcotic substances tested positive for cannabis when submitted for forensic examination, in the presence of all the interested parties.

However, commenting on the matter on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah, the lawyer questioned why the Police is failing to conduct an expansive probe into the death of the young man.  

“I think that this conversation goes beyond irregularities because I was personally there when the autopsy was done. And so, it is not about regularity or irregularity or how the autopsy was conducted. It is about a police attempt to basically mislead everybody and take themselves out of criminal liability. And so, if the family is crying and the family is dissatisfied that is the reason.

“Because there are video footages of police officers handcuffing this young man, putting him on the ground. He was beaten and yet a simple cause of death the verbal cause of death is saying it is only because of the suffocation. In criminal justice we have other links, that is why we have people in murder trials, you could have people who may have abated the crime, people who may have contributed in some way. So, the fact that police are refusing to conduct an expansive investigation into the death of the young man is where the issue is.

He continued: “Because you know what, autopsy report, medical examination, that gives you the cause of death is only an opinion to any jury trying a suspect of either murder or manslaughter. It would go beyond only what the medical doctor will say about the medical cause of death. And so, the issue is more expansive than a simple question as to whether the autopsy was regular or irregular.”

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM