Michael Boateng
4 August 2008
The Berekum Constituency Office of the Ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) was on Tuesday July 29, 2008, turned into a boxing arena when the Constituency's First Vice-Chairman, Mr. Nuro Bediako clashed with a 35-year old polling station chairman, Wilson Gyamfi.
The ferocious battle between the two has allegedly resulted in the death of Wilson Gyamfi, after Mr. Nuro Bediako reportedly knocked him down with a blow. The deceased hit his head against a stone on the ground and started bleeding profusely. He was rushed to the Holy Family Hospital, from where he was referred to the Okomfo Anokye Hospital in Kumasi, where he died two days later.
The authorities at the Holy Family Hospital said Wilson was brought with a 'head injury' with severe bleeding, and cannot ascertain what really caused his death unless an autopsy is performed.
Mr. Nuro Bediako was nearly lynched by some angry mob that was at the scene, but was luckily whisked away by the Driver of the Berekum Municipal Chief Executive. The action of the driver infuriated the mob who thought it was the MCE, Kwabena Kyere Yeboah himself, who had abandoned the victim to save the culprit.
Nuro Bediako attempted to flee the Berekum Township but the Police Command had information about his hideout and have caused his arrest.
He was sent to the Berekum Police station for the necessary investigations to be conducted before arraigning him before Court, but the situation was still very dicey for Mr. Nuro Bediako to be detained at the Police station, so he was transferred to Sunyani for safety reasons.
Information gathered by The Chronicle indicate that the scuffle emanated when the deceased called on the First vice-chairman, Nuro Bediako to enquire why his name has been removed from the list of polling station agents in the Berekum Constituency. This was after he had been hinted that his chairman was behind the replacement of his name.
The enquiry, however, turned into a heated argument, resulting in Mr. Nuro allegedly hitting the decease with a hefty blow, which sent him to the ground.
Unfortunately, the deceased knocked his head against a stone and started bleeding. The body of Wilson is still at the Okomfo Anokye Hospital morgue, waiting for an autopsy to be performed to establish the exact cause of death.
Mr. Nuro Bediako has meanwhile been charged with provisional murder. He was arraigned before the Berekum Magistrate Court, presided over by Mr. Sam Nibi on Friday, August 1, 2008, and has been remanded in police custody for two weeks. He would reappear before the same court on August 14.
Prosecuting, ASP Yaw Obeng Asubonteng said the police were still gathering pieces of information on the matter and pleaded that the accused be remanded.
He said most of the witnesses to the incident accompanied the victim to Kumasi and were yet to return to testify on the matter for the police to prepare adequately for the prosecution of Mr. Nuro Bediako. ASP Asubonteng told the court that the police cannot come out with the cause of Wilson's Death, unless the autopsy is performed and that arrangement had been made to that effect. Wilson Gyamfi was married to Mrs. Charlotte Gyamfi and is blessed with three children. He was an Electrician.
Mrs. Gyamfi, who described her late husb as very caring and humble, could not control her tears, despite the consolation by family members and sympathisers who had thronged the house.
Her only concern was how to cater for the children, in the absence of the husband, since her only job was petty trading.
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