Hearing in serial killer trial begins

April 16, 2002

An Accra High Court will today begin hearing the case in which Charles Ebo Quansah, a self-confessed serial killer, has been charged with the murder of some women.

Quansah is alleged to have confessed to the killing of eight women in Accra and Kumasi. He was in prison custody while a bill of indictment and summary of evidence was being prepared by the Attorney General’s Office to begin his trial.

On March 15, this year, an Accra Community Tribunal committed Quansah to stand trial at a High Court on the murder of Akua Serwa, a 24-year-old hairdresser in Kumasi.

The facts of the case in respect of the murder of Serwa were that in 1996, while serving a prison term for robbery at the Nsawam Medium Prisons, Quansah met William Bittar, a Lebanese, who helped him to secure a job in Kumasi.

The accused befriended Serwa in 1996 while in Kumasi, where he allegedly strangled her, after a drinking spree at a drinking bar near the Kumasi Sports Stadium.

A Police statement issued on May 15, last year, alleged that Quansah killed women in Kumasi, Dansoman, Mataheko and Adenta, all in Accra. The statement said Quansah, who hails from Komenda in the Central Region, allegedly killed the women by strangulating them.

He was arrested at his Adenta residence in February last year, following intensive investigations into the serial murders, including the setting up of a special team made up of experts in crime scene management and interrogation.

The police said Quansah had served jail terms at the James Fort and Nsawam Medium Prisons for rape.

Murdering 34 women: Quansah wants to talk

GhanaWeb.com

Wednesday, 9 June 2004

CHARLES PAPA KWABENA EBO QUANSAH, a.k.a. Charles Quansah now counting the remainder of his days on death row in the Condemned cells of the Nsawam Medium Security Prison is aggrieved. He says he needs a willing counsel to help him clear his name and doubts about his innocence in the heinous crime that literally took the country to ransom for over two years. Quansah claims the statement he was alleged to have made was made after rounds of brutal torture on the orders of officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who handled the case. His claims implicate key players as well as their subordinates who were/are on the beat, investigating the cold-blooded murder of the women about four years ago.

Now it is becoming increasingly likely that if Mr. Quansah who reportedly admitted to nine of the murders pleads innocence or could only be fixed with nine then, the death squad may be roaming our streets while they wait for the opportune time to strike again. Prisons Officers at the Nsawan Prison who claimed they had made enough in-roads into the psyche of the jailed murderer also told the Network Herald that contrary to statement by the Police administration that Quansah openly confessed to killing 9 out of the 34 women, he had since his arrival about two years ago, maintained that there was a miscarriage of justice because he is innocent of the heinous crime. With four or so scars the size of the bottom of a pressing iron at his back which he insist was the result of the continuous inhuman treatment he received at the hands of interrogators (names withheld), Quansah is said to be hoping and praying that he would be able to secure the services of a lawyer who would request for an independent enquiry into the matter.

According to prison officials, for starters, the convicted ?serial killer? claims that the statement the Police presented to the court as his confession statement were not written by him. That he never confessed to killing the women. That while in the cells at the Police Headquarters in Accra, he was blindfolded on several occasions, handcuffed from behind, taken to an unknown location in a vehicle and subjected to hours of gruesome torture that always left him bleeding profusely from his nostrils, ears and mouth.

Quansah had also alleged on several occasions that his interrogators had other motives such as pushing him not only to admit killing the women but prompting him to implicate certain persons as the real architects of the serial killings even though on all occasions he resisted their promptings because his conscience would not permit him. He said on one of the usual brutalization sessions in the name of interrogation, he out of exasperation, burst out that he killed 90 of the women and not the 34 they were asking him to admit. This was according to the Officers, conveniently altered by the CID to mean he confessed to killing 9 of the women.

He is further alleged to have stated that despite the fact that the Police arrested him in July 2000 for allegedly killing his girl friend one Joyce Boateng of Adenta in Accra, he was rather charged for the murder of a certain Akua Serwaa around the Kumasi Sports Stadium on the 19th of January 1996. Meanwhile, no relation of the murdered girl had ever established that he (Quansah) had ever existed in the life of the deceased

As to whether he took the interrogation team to the crime scene to show them where he murdered Akua Serwaa, Quansah insists that he was rather dragged to the location by the interrogators and shown where they say the Kumasi Police found the corpse. He claims that all this information was made available by his lawyer Joseph O. Amui to the trial judge Mrs. Justice Agnes Dordzie and the jury but they failed not only to see any merit in them but take action on it before sentencing him to death. But document on the court proceedings available to the Network Herald indicates that the defense team indeed drew the judge and the jury?s attention to the inhuman treatment the accused was subjected to in the Police cells and that the statement was not voluntary. But after a mini trial, the trial judge accepted the confession statement tended in by one Inspector Gove in the Homicide Unit ?as evidence in proof of the charge? against the accused, stating that ?If what the D.W. 2 described he saw happened to the accused in the cells ever happened at all, it happened a year before the accused was interrogated and his caution statements taken in respect of this case.?

Defense witness one George Yaw Asare Asamoah had told the court that he saw the accused on several occasions beaten and brought back to the cells battered.

Serial Killer Drops Bombshell

August 8, 2005

Convicted serial killer, Charles Papa Kwabena Ebo Quansah, who is currently on death row at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison for murdering nine out of 34 women in Accra, has secretly spoken to prison officers about his case.

He says he needs an independent enquiry into his trial and a committed attorney to help him clear his name and prove his innocence in the serial killing debacle which literally took the country to ransom for over two years.

Quansah, has alleged that the Director of this police Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Mr. David Asante-Apeatu, ordered his men to torture him (Quansah) to implicate certain high profile personalities (names withheld for now) as those behind the killing.

The convicted serial killer is exhibiting deep scars on his body as examples of how the police allegedly pressed his body with hot iron to compel him to admit to the killings. He mentioned a certain Inspector Onipa, Superintendent Issah and Sergeant Charles as the officers who allegedly tortured him and forced him to admit killing the women when he was in custody at the Police Headquarters in Accra.

Prison officers at the Nsawam Prison told this reporter who has been on the serial killing beat for close to three years, say Quansah, who the police said openly confessed to killing nine out of the 34 women, has since his placement on death row, maintained that his conviction was a case of miscarriage of justice because he is innocent of the heinous crime.

But last year April 2004, Mr. David Asante-Apeatu, Director of the CID at the police headquarters who was visibly angered by Quansah's claim, furiously denied ordering the torture of convicted Quansah, saying "do you know what a criminal can do?" Mr. Apeatu was speaking in an interview when he was contacted to reach to Quansah's allegations against him. CID boss Apeatu continued that Quansah broke down on one occasion and voluntarily confessed to killing nine of the women who he serially killed in Accra.

According to Mr. Apeatu, even though Quansah was accused of murdering nine women, he was tried for only one of the murders and the dockets on the eight other cases were at that time (last year April) still lying the bosom of then Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Papa Owusu-Ankomah.

Meanwhile, Quansah has been quoted by prison sources as saying that during one of the torturous interrogations he cheekily told the police that he killed 90 of the women and not the 34 they were asking him to admit. This he claims was what the interrogating officers twisted to mean that he confessed to killing nine of the 34 women.

Prison sources who have had interactions with Quansah in Prison, told this paper that Quansah is griming about his conviction. They noted that Quansah still believes strongly that he never carried out any of the killings, neither did he confess to killing any of the women, and that he is a casualty of miscarriage of justice.

Serial Killer or Scapegoat

September 19, 2005

One: He was arrested in Adenta, in the Greater Accra Region, for murdering his girlfriend Joyce Boateng, in July, 2000, but he was prosecuted for the murder of a certain Akua Serwaa, who was found dead around Kumasi Sports Stadium, in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region, in January 19, 1996.

Two: Whilst in Custody, Police claim he reportedly confessed to murdering nine out of the 34 women who were serially killed in Accra but was again tried for only one.

Three: Charles Qunasah, the suspected serial killer was pronounced guilty by an Accra High Court on the basis of a doubtful lie detector test administered on him as well as state prosecutors, claim that he confessed to the serial killing.

Four: Quansah, has, however denied responsibility for the horrific serial killing and called for a judicial enquiry into his trial.

Now: The Enquirer's ongoing investigations has revealed that during Qaunsah?s trial, the Police disregarded a subpoena issued by the High Court to produce the said lie detector used on Quansah as well as the alleged confession tape recording.

The Court subpoenaed the police to produce the lie detector and the confession tapes to back their claim that the suspect was, indeed, guilty of the charges leveled against him.

The document titled 'Subpoena Duce Tecum (General Form)' issued at the High Court Criminal Session, Accra, Court 6, dated July 9, 2002 and signed on behalf of the then Chief Justice, Edward K. Wiredu, ordered the then Commissioner of Police (CID), Patrick K. Acheampong, now Inspector-General of Police (IGP), to appear before the trial judge, Mrs. Justice Agnes Dordzie, to produce the said items.

'You are hereby commanded to attend before Judge at High Court Criminal Sessions, Accra, Court 6 on Thursday, the 11th day of July, 2002, at the hour of 9am in the fore noon, and so from day to day until the above cause is tried, to give evidence on behalf of the Accused person, and also bring with you and produce at the time and place aforesaid:

• 1 The Lie Detector used on the Accused person

• 2 Various Statements made by Accused Person before 8th May, 2001.

• 3 The Tape Recording of the Confession??

Even though Mr. Acheampong, failed to obey the directives of the court to appear and produce the said materials as requested, Justice Agnes Dordzi, did not cite him for contempt of court as is usually the case when one shows gross disrespect towards the court.

Legal experts who have commented on the issue say Mr. Acheampong?s failure to be present in court over an important national issue like the murder of 34 women should have attracted a charge of contempt of court which should have landed him in jail.

The experts who pleaded anonymity told The Enquirer that Mrs. Justice Dordzi, should have issued a bench warrant to arrest Mr. Acheampong, put him in custody and be produced upon request.

They were, therefore, surprised why the judge allowed the proceedings to go on without the presence of the witness and such vital materials which would erase any shred of doubts about the police investigations and the trial itself.

While some argued that the ends of justice would have been met better if Mrs. Justice Dordzi had written directly to Ernest Owusu Poku, then Inspector of Police (IGP), to compel Mr. Acheampong to appear after his failure to obey the directive, others thought that she (the judge) might not have deemed his (Mr. Acheampong) presence very vital in the trial.

IGP SPEAKS

When The Enquirer contacted Mr. Acheampong, he said he could not remember seeing any subpoena during his term of office at the CID Headquarters. He postulated that the document might have been served on the Legal Directorate, the official counsel for the Police Service.

Head of Police Public Relations Deputy Superintendent David Senanu Eklu, who spoke to The Enquirer after speaking to the IGP, said Mr. Acheampong explained to him that he did not see the subpoena, possibly because it was not served on him directly.

"It would have been served on the IGP and handled by the Legal Directorate on his behalf, or the Attorney General's Department might have handled it," he guessed.

Asked whether the IGP could have produced the said lie detector if the subpoena had been served on him directly, he was emphatic that the Ghana Police Service does not have the device, hence he (Mr. Acheampong), could not have produced it in court if he had appeared.

"As far as I am aware, the Police CID does not have a lie detector, and has not used one before to the best of my knowledge," he told The Enquirer in a follow up telephone interview.

QUANSAH'S LAWYER

His lawyer, Joseph Obliquaye Amui of Tetterley Chambers, when contacted, confirmed that he caused a subpoena to be issued to compel the Commissioner of Police CID to come to court with the said Lie Detector used on Quansah and statements he gave to the interrogators before May 8 as well as tape recordings of the confession during interrogation but the Commissioner Police CID, never showed up.

The subpoena, counsel said, was issued after Quansah hinted him of a possible use of a Lie Detector machine on him by the police in the presence of some white men believed to be officials of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

Counsel said he wanted the lie detector test to be administered on Quansah in the full glare of the court for the court to note its results.

The 72-year-old man told The Enquirer that his family, colleague lawyers and friends were unhappy with him for opting to represent the accused person upon a request from the Legal Aid Board, adding that he was of the view 'there has been a miscarriage of justice.'

According to him, true justice would have been served if the trial judge had compelled the CID boss to appear with the materials.

Qaunsah's counsel said during the trial, he faced an uphill task as a result of the many issues, including having a female judge sitting on the case and the publications of numerous pictures of Charles Quansah which likened him to Dr. Ram Beckley, a medical doctor and an occultist who was prosecuted for possessing human parts. These, among others, he said, prejudiced the trial long before it commenced.

He also confirmed seeing torture marks on his client, which he (Quansah) told him he suffered in the hands of the police interrogators when he was in custody.

"They (police) had a list of the victims (murdered women) and beating him severely to admit killing them. He said they used pliers to clip his skin on many occasions, and asked him to admit to killing the women," he said.

He denied the claim that his client is insane, and added that the confession statements, if any, were not voluntary but was taken under duress. "He did not appear insane to me. He is just like you, very lucid," he said.

Mr. Amui disclosed to The Enquirer that he is yet to be paid his fees by the Legal Aid Board, three clear years after the trial, and insisted that although he drew the judge?s attention to the torture marks, and produced a witness to prove a case of the inhumane treatment meted out on Quansah, she disregarded their claim.

Mr. Amui, who was a member of the Special Investigation Board (SIB) that investigated the murder of the three High Court Judges and the retired military officer, believes strongly that his client is innocent, and that a comprehensive investigation by the police would have nailed the real killers.

NANA OYE LITHUR

On the subpoena, she told The Enquirer that failure to respond to it is a serious crime against the court, and advised Quansah's counsel, to go for an appeal against the conviction if he feels he has a genuine case to determine his fate.

THE SERIAL KILLINGS

For three years, the country was held to ransom with people, especially women, afraid to stay outdoors after 9 pm as a result of what came to be known as the serial killing of women in Accra.

Post mortem examination records available at the Police Hospital, and sited by this reporter, indicated that the victims were mostly found lying in supine positions with their legs widely opened with blood or substances which had the semblance of semen on their private parts.

Also described as "Ritual Murders", the Spintex Road, Kwabenya, Asylum Down, Kisseman, Teshie, Adenta, Achimota, Adabraka and Dansoman, were among the areas where some of the dead bodies were located. Mataheko, a suburb of Accra, was the worse hit community.

THE SUSPECT LIST

Interestingly, when the then Minister for Interior, (NDC government) Nii Okaija Adamafio (MP) and then then IGP, Peter Nanfuri, released the names of the suspected serial killers in Parliament, Quansah's name was not included. One Leopold Mawuli Anka, was a name released by the then government as one of the key suspects.

Victims Of "Quansah Serial Murders"

GhanaWeb.com

Saturday, 22 September 2007

Though 34 women had been killed in the same fashion, Charles Quansah has admitted to killing only 8 of them. Millicent Mawunya Adeku of Adenta Housing Down, Joyce Boateng of Adenta, Accra and Yaa Serwa of Kumasi were among the 8 women Charles Quansah confessed to have murdered.

ROLL-CALL OF THE VICTIMS OF THE 'QUANSAH SERIAL MURDER' CASES IN ACCRA (1998 – 1999) Below is the list ……

(1) NAME OF DECEASED - MONICA SERWAA PLACE OF DEATH - DANSOMAN DATE OF DEATH - THURSDAY, 20 AUGUST, 1998

SHE HAS AN UNCLE CALLED KWADWO KUSI AT DANSOMAN

(2) NAME OF DECEASED - UNIDENTIFIED PLACE OF DEATH - SAAKAMAN DATE OF DEATH - TUESDAY, 29 SEPTEMBER, 1998

(3) NAME OF DECEASED - GIFTY ANNAN PLACE OF DEATH - NEW ABOSSY OKAI DATE OF DEATH - SATURDAY, 17 OCTOBER, 1998

BORN AND BRED AT LARTERBIOKORSHIE, LIVED WITH GRANDMOTHER, MRS. ANNA ANNAN AT NEW ABOSSEY OKAI. THE FATHER CURTIS NII TEIKOFIO ANNAN NOW OUT SIDE GHANA. MOTHER IS DEAD

(4) NAME OF DECEASED - ADWOA LAREAH PLACE OF DEATH - KANESHIE DATE OF DEATH - SATURDAY, 25 APRIL, 1998 MOTHER - ESI TWUMWAA OF KWASHIEMAN FATHER - KWASI AWURAPA (DECEASED)

(5) NAME OF DECEASED - BEATRICE NAADU LARTEY PLACE OF DEATH - RUSSIA DATE OF DEATH - FRIDAY, 30 OCTOBER, 1998 FATHER - LARTEY LARTEYE, NATIVE OF PRAMPRAM MOTHER - OKAI JOJOO, NATIVE OF SWALABA HUSBAND - GEORGE GUMAH, BAR OPERATOR, MATAHEKO

(6) NAME OF DECEASED - ADWOA KYEREH PLACE OF DEATH - FLAMINGO JUNCTION, MATAHEKO DATE OF DEATH - FRIDAY, 27 NOVEMBER, 1998

SHE LIVED ALONE AT ZONGO JUNCTION AND HAS A RELATIVE CALLED YAW GYENI

(7) NAME OF DECEASED - AKUA MARTEY PLACE OF DEATH - TWENEBOA, ODORKOR DATE OF DEATH - SATURDAY, 5 DECEMBER 1998

SHE HAS A SON CALLED EDWARD ACQUAH TETTEH, H/NO. B510/A TWENEBOA, ODORKOR

(8) NAME OF DECEASED - GRACE AMOAH PLACE OF DEATH - KANESHIE DATE OF DEATH - TUESDAY, 13 OCTOBER, 1998

SHE HAS A SON CALLED OFORI ATTAH, H/NO. 132, KANESHIE

(9) NAME OF DECEASED - MARY LAKOR LARKAI PLACE OF DEATH - MATAHEKO DATE OF DEATH - THURSDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 1998

SHE STAYED IN H/NO. B92/4 MATAHEKO WITH KOFI APPIAH & OSAFO BEDIAKO

MYSTERIOUS MURDER CASES (ACCRA) – 1999

(10) NAME OF DECEASED - ALIMATU SEIDU PLACE OF DEATH - OMANJOUR, SOWUTUOM DATE OF DEATH - FRIDAY, 26 FEBRUARY, 1999

HAS A BROTHER BY NAME KWABENA AMOAKO OF H/NO. 43/6, NEW TOWN, ACCRA

(11) NAME OF DECEASED - FLORENCE DOME PLACE OF DEATH - ASOREDANHO, DANSOMAN DATE OF DEATH - THURSDAY, 18 MARCH 1999

THE MOTHER IS ABENA KATSEKPOR OF H/NO. 356/17, ASOREDANHO, DANSOMAN

(12) NAME OF DECEASED - BEATRICE GADESE PLACE OF DEATH - DANSOMAN DATE OF DEATH - SUNDAYM 28 MARCH, 1999

SHE HAS A SISTER CALLED JANET GADESE RESIDING AT LA, ACCRA

(13) NAME OF DECEASED - COMFORT LARBI MANKO HENAKU PLACE OF DEATH - DANSOMAN DATE OF DEATH - WEDNESDAY, 7 APRIL, 1999

THE HUSBAND IS MAXWELL OWUSU OF WESLEY GRAMMER SCHOOL, DANSOMAN

(14) NAME OF DECEASED - MARIAMA CHAANA PLACE OF DEATH - ZABRAMA LINE, DANSOMAN DATE OF DEATH - SUNDAY, 11 APRIL, 1999

SHE HAS A COUSIN CALLED AMADU BONKANEY. THE MOTHER IS AISHA BONKANEY OF SUKURA

(15) NAME OF DECEASED - VICTORIA MACKITTEH PLACE OF DEATH - AWOSHIE, ACCRA DATE OF DEATH - FRIDAY, 16 APRIL, 1999

SHE HAS A COUSIN CALLED ANTHONY AWORTWI OF H/NO. AN246, AWOSHIE, ACCRA

(16) NAME OF DECEASED - AMA AMPOFOWAH PLACE OF DEATH - CATHEDRAL, MATEHEKO DATE OF DEATH - WEDNESDAY, 28 APRIL, 1999

SHE WAS THE DAUGTHER OF ESI PANYIN, A FARMER OF AKIM ASENE, EASTERN REGION

(17) NAME OF DECEASED - COMFORT BUXGON PLACE OF DEATH - DANSOMAN, EXHIBITION DATE OF DEATH - FRIDAY, 14 MAY, 1999

NO INFORMATION FOR IDENTIFICATION

(18) NAME OF DECEASED - GEOGINA AMOAH PLACE OF DEATH - ABOSSEY OKAI DATE OF DEATH - SATURDAY, 16 MAY 1999

PUBLICATION OF HER PHOTOGRAPH LED TO IDENTIFICATION AS GEORGINA AMOAH. INVESTIGATION HINTED THAT DECEASED WAS A KNOWN PROSTITUTE

(19) NAME OF DECEASED - MARTHA ANKRAH PLACE OF DEATH - SANTA MARIA, ODORKOR DATE OF DEATH - THURSDAY, 3 JUNE, 1999

HER FATHER, EMMANUEL ANKRA OF H/NO. 8M/127, SANTA MARIA

(20) NAME OF DECEASED - UNKNOWN PLACE OF DEATH - DANSOMAN DATE OF DEATH - TUESDAY, 22 JUNE 1999

HER BODY WAS DISCOVERED BY EDWARD DUFE & THE ASSEMBLYMAN

(21) NAME OF DECEASED - UNKNOWN PLACE OF DEATH - LATERBIOKORSHIE DATE OF DEATH - SUNDAY, 15 AUGUST, 1999

SHE WAS FOUND DEAD IN A MAIZE FARM AT ZOTI. NO IDENTIFICATION

(22) NAME OF DECEASED - ARABA QUANSIMA PLACE OF DEATH - RUSSIA, ACCRA DATE OF DEATH - MONDAY, 30 AUGUST 1999

HER SISTER IS MRS. SARA APPIAH OF DANSOMAN

(23) NAME OF DECEASED - UNKNOWN PLACE OF DEATH - AKOKO-FOTO, DANSOMAN DATE OF DEATH - FRIDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER, 1999

BODY WAS DISCOVERED BY MR. K.B. COLEMAN, A RESIDENT OF DANSOMAN, IN THE BUSH

(24) NAME OF DECEASED - PATIENCE AWA OHIEFE PLACE OF DEATH - MATAHEKO DATE OF DEATH - THURSDAY, 30 SEPTEMBER, 1999

WAS BORN & BRED IN OHIEFE STATE IN NIGERIA. THE YOUNGER SISTER IS BLESSED USIN

(25) NAME OF DECEASED - COMFORT BOAFO PLACE OF DEATH - ADABRAKA DATE OF DEATH - SATURDAY, 2 OCTOBER 1999

SHE HAS A SISTER CALLED MERCY MANGO OF H/NO. 127/3, LA, ACCRA

A List Of The Six Unidentified Victims Of The 'Quansah Serial (Courtesy: Police CID File)

(1) Victim : Unidentified Place of death : Sakaman Date of death : Tuesday, 29 September, 1998

(2) Victim : Unidentified Place of death : Dansoman Date of death : Tuesday, 22 June, 1999

(3) Victim : Unidentified Place of death : Laterbiokoshie Date of death : Sunday, 15 August, 1999

(4) Victim : Unidentified Place of death : Akokofoto, Dansoman Date of death : Friday 24 September, 1999

(5) Victim : Unidentified Place of death : In a bush at Waakye, Kissehman Date of death : Sunday, 25 June, 2000

(6) Victim : Unidentified Place of death : IPS Junction, Near Unipetrol, Legon Date of death : Unknown but body found