“We want to stress that the Tufuhen committed the alleged crimes in his own capacity as an individual and not because he is a Tufuhen in the Ekumfi Traditional Area,” the chiefs explained.
Christopher Ekow Clarke Quansah is one of the three suspects currently before court for their alleged involvement in the murder of Georgina Asor Botchwey, a prospective nursing student, at Mankessim.
Suspect Ekow Clarke Quansah, 65, is also the Tufuhen of Ekumfi Akwakrom in the Central Region.
The other two, Michael Darko, 48, a self-styled pastor and Jonathan Obeng, 26, a mason, together with the first accused, have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime, to wit murder, and murder.
The three accused persons have appeared before the Cape Coast District Court ‘2’ on three occasions, but their pleas have not been taken.
The chiefs in the traditional area have therefore vowed to assist the police in their investigations to get to the core of the matter.
They have also indicated that they would wait for the final determination of the court before they would sanction the Tufuhen as custom demands.
Addressing a press conference, the Paramount Chief of Ekumfi Traditional Council, Odeefuor Akyen VIII, said the traditional leaders were appalled to learn that Christopher Ekow Clarke Quansah, who they referred to as Tufuhen Onyaa, was associated with the alleged heinous crimes.
Odeefuor Akyen explained that the suspect is Tufuhen of three Ekumfi towns, which include Ekumfi Adumadze, which shares a boundary with Mankessim; Ekumfi Swedur and Ekumfi Akwakrom.
“So Tufuhen Onyaa is one of the integral and cardinal elders of the three towns, and he is also the head of the Asafo groups in those towns,” he said, adding that “He has a family house at Akwakrom and his Ebusuapanyin lives there. He is also one of the senior elders of Akwakrom under the Akwakrom Odikro, Nana Akwa III.”
“However, his personal house is at Ekumfi Edumadze and traditionally, that area is part of Ekumfi Traditional Council,” he explained.
Odeefuor Akyen, on behalf of the traditional council, expressed his condolences to the bereaved families whose relatives the Tufuhen and his accomplices have confessed to have killed.
The three suspects will reappear before the Cape Coast District Court ‘2’ presided over by Bernice Mensima Ackon, on November 8, 2022.
