One of the three fetish priests standing trial over the death of Edward Quartey Papafio, a 64-year-old retired Bio-Chemist at Adeiso in the Eastern Region, has died.
The GNA was told Christian Awoe Gameli, aka, Power One, 40, who had been unwell, died whilst in lawful Police custody.
Gamali is said to have died in Police cells about two weeks ago.
Gameli, Famous Adukonu, aka, Scorpion, 37, and Yaw Azamate, 27, are being held on the charges of conspiracy to commit a crime to wit murder.
The three had their pleas preserved when they appeared before the Court presided over by Ms. Rosemond Dodua Agyiri.
Meanwhile, a bench warrant issued for the arrest of one Michael Ahiavinye and one Buzanga who are at large, is still in force.
The case of the prosecution led by Detective Inspector Lawrence Anani, is that the complainant is Reverend Comfort Ruth Quartey-Papafio, who resides in Takoradi in the Western Region.
Gameli, Adukonu and Azamete were said to operate their business at Adu-Kojo and Kwasi-Nyarko, all suburbs of Maame Dede in the Eastern Region.
The prosecution said on January 17, this year, the complainant reported of the disappearance of her husband, Mr Quartey Papafio, from his residence at Kasoa on January 15, this year, at about 0733 hours.
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It said on receipt of the complaint, 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, last year.
According to the prosecution, a search conducted at Gameli’s shrine uncovered two pump action guns, one single barrel gun, and 11 packets of cartridges.
Seven other pieces of the cartridges were found in his room while two shovels were also found hidden at the back of his house.
The Prosecution said during interrogation, Gameli and Adukonu admitted shooting the deceased with a pump-action gun on January 15, this year, and burying the corpse at the Shrine.
It said on April 29, last year, 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.
The prosecution said the crime scene was secured and an exhumation order was obtained from the Court for that purpose.
The prosecution said on April 30, last 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 Gameli and Adukonu, exhumed the deceased’s body.
It said when the grave was dug, the decomposed body of Quartey-Papafio was removed with the Police also discovering that the deceased’s grave was among others in Gameli’s cemetery, which had been well fenced.
The prosecution said investigations disclosed that on December 29, 2019, Gameli, Adukonu, and Azamete conspired to kill Papafio, hence, lured him with the assistance of one Buzanga, also a traditional priest at Kasoa.
It said before the murder of Papafio, Gameli intentionally, made a false statement to him (Papafio) and succeeded in collecting Gh¢10,650 from him through mobile money under the pretext of conjuring Gh¢400,000.00 for him to boost his company.
The prosecution said Papafio was invited to the Shrine on January 15, last year, for purification, and in the process, Adukonu shot him with Gameli’s gun.
It said Adukonu, then drained some quantity of Papafio’s blood into a plastic gallon and hid same at the Shrine while Gameli took possession of Papafio’s mobile phones and later buried him with the assistance of Azamate and Michael who were on the run.
The prosecution said Gameli and Adukonu allegedly confessed to the Police that the blood in the gallon was a mixture of Papafio’s and another victim who was also buried among other bodies at the cemetery.
It said the gallon of blood and the body were later deposited at the Police morgue for examination.
The prosecution said the Pathologist gave the cause of death of Papafio as hemorrhagic shock, traumatic amputation, and unnatural severe chest pain.
Gameli and Adukonu are expected to be in court on October 12.