A landlord by name Jerry Kpesenu a.k.a. Maya, has allegedly been killed at Keta in the Volta Region over a disagreement between him and his tenant.
Maya, according to residents, was allegedly brutalised by the police and died in their custody Wednesday, June 05, 2024, when their intervention was sought in the brawl between the late Mr. Kpesenu and his tenant.
Narrating the incident to Johnnie Hughes on 3FM’s Sunrise Monday, June 09, 2024, Philip Abotsi, a resident and member of the community folk who are demanding justice for the slain landlord #JusticeForMaya, alleged that the landlord died on arrival at the police station following the severe beatings he received from the men in uniform.
“What happened is that on last Wednesday, Jerry Kpesenu was in the house when an air-conditioner [technician] came to the house to fix the air-conditioner for the tenant.
“So, when the air-conditioner technician came to the house, the tenant had not left the office and landlord said he has not heard anything about fixing an air-conditioner in the house. But the tenant said, that’s what he had ordered the air-conditioner repairer for,” he narrated.
He explained further that the landlord who felt he should be informed of any such developments beforehand did not allow the technician to go ahead with the work, which resulted in a scuffle.
He said the tenant informed the police about the issue when the technician went to fetch them to the house, leading to the assault that resulted in Maya’s demise.
“They went to the police station, called the police to come to the house. So, they all came to the house and started beating the landlord who is called Jerry Kpesenu. And we all know Jerry is a good man, a very calm guy. And when they were sending Jerry back to the police station, the way they beat him, the moment they reached the police station, Jerry was pronounced dead,” Abotsi narrated Monday.
According to Abotsi, a couple of them joined Jerry’s family members to the police station to seek resolution for the matter only to be told Jerry was asleep although he was dead at the time.
Wonder Setsoafia, who is leader of #JusticeForMaya noted that “the whole community is saddened upon hearing that our friend and our family member has been murdered in cold blood.
“Yesterday, we met with the family and then with the MP, and then we all agreed that what happened shouldn’t have happened. So, we all agreed on certain conditions, which is to say we are indigenes and for our grievances to the Ghanaian people, talk to them about what exactly happened as what Philip has just narrated. So, the community now, if you come to Keta, the whole community is saddened,” he stated.
He said it was after the Regional Commander was informed of the matter and visited that family, that they realised Jerry was dead. Wonder said Jerry had died and been sent to the morgue without the police informing the family about it.
“And we learned that on that day, when the Regional Commander came to meet the family member, they walked to the hospital, the morgue. That is when the family was informed. That is when the family followed the police to the morgue, instead of the police telling the family that Maya [had been] dead all along in the police cell. Then the police took him to the morgue without the knowledge of the family,” he added.
Meanwhile, members of the community will be organising a press conference on Monday to communicate the way forward.
A/R: Alleged shooting by police kills two as irate youth threaten vengeance at Jacobu
