Two years after the gruesome murder of Mrs Josephine Asante, and whilst residents of the Emefs Hillview Estates are yet to come to terms with the identity of the perpetrator and his motive, security managers of the gated community have presented to the public yet another surprise. The security supervisor of the facility has been fired for what was termed as negligence of duty leading to the incident that day.
This came to light when The Chronicle managed its way into the tight security community to enquire from the residents what had become of their safety after the murder.
Mrs Josephine Asante, then Marketing and Public Affairs Manager at the Tema Port of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), was, in the morning of Sunday January 13, 2019, found murdered in her residence at Emefs Hillview Estates near Afienya in the Ningo Prampram District of the Greater Accra Region.
According to the residents, the Security Supervisor, a retired Warrant Officer’s appointment, was terminated effective August 31, 2020, and the reason assigned was that a certain security expert recommended the action, which was carried out.
The worried residents of the association responsible for the engagement of the security guards are of the view that the decision to dispense with the services of the supervisor should have been taken by management of the association, but this was not the case.
According to them, the gated community was home to several retired senior military officers whose inputs on security matters were always sought for the betterment of all.
When The Chronicle reached out to the President of the Residents Association, Mr Francis Dadzie, he stated that the security of the community had undergone tremendous transformation after the incident. He mentioned the provision of an armed police guard at the residence of deceased, constant police patrols, backed by the installation of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras at vantage points.
On the sacking of the Supervisor, Mr Dadzie opined that he was allegedly indulging in matters that were not related to the core functions for which he was engaged, hence the termination of his appointment. He went on to mention the Supervisor’s reported dealings with some Nigerian residents who were caught indulging in nefarious activities.
Again, Mr Dadzie stated that the Supervisor virtually became an accommodation agent for people seeking one, hence relegated the security duties to the background.
When The Chronicle contacted the dismissed Security Supervisor, he denied the allegations.
According to the former soldier, the murder occurred on Sunday, which was his off-duty period, and could not have been available for any administrative job, and that this was not negligence on his part.
He went on that standard security practice was tailored in the chain of command which entails communication passing through that order, and he could not have bypassed his Coordinator and present an official report to the highest ranked.
He continued that his refusal to sideline the chain of command and report directly to the President earned him the sack, and if this could go for negligence, then he was lost for words.
When the incident occurred, a number of persons, including security guards on duty at the gate, were interrogated by the police and released.
In a related development, the Tema District Court has adjourned to Thursday January 14, 2021, the case involving Christian Agyei, a houseboy, and Amos Apeku, deceased, an official driver.
The Attorney General’s Office is yet to proceed with advice on the case to the court.
Meanwhile, sources within the Tandoh family of the deceased have expressed their continued hope in the Ghana Police Service to nab the perpetrator of the crime to bring about the justice that Mrs Josephine Asante deserves.
This is the only way that they would be pleased, according to the family.
A highly placed management member at the GPHA, who pleaded anonymity, also told this reporter that the authority was impatient to hear of any breakthrough in the investigation from the police.
The source reiterated the commitment of a cash reward from GPHA for information that would lead to the apprehension of the killer(s) of its manager.
The post Chief Security man fired over GPHA Manager’s murder? appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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