A 15-year-old boy has committed suicide inside the Tarkwa-Simpa Police cells, a disturbing development that has shocked both his family and community members.
Simon Obeng, who was apprehended on Friday, June 5th for stealing gold from his employer, committed suicide on Sunday, June 7th, according to information obtained from the police. He was found dead in his cell reportedly having hanged himself.
The employer’s foreman, Ezekiel Asare, had him taken to the police station and detained in the cells for the purpose of assisting with investigations
The family is accusing the mining site owner, Nana Adu, and the foreman of being involved in the boy’s death after Simon was denied bail.
They inquire about the rationale behind the denial of bail and the circumstances that allowed a juvenile to be held unsupervised in a cell.
The Tarkwa police command reported that the boy claimed in his statement that he was 18 years old, contributing to the conjectures over the circumstances surrounding his death.
However, Akua Atta, Simon’s mother, has maintained that her son was 15 years old. The family has therefore called on the President, Inspector General of Police, and Interior Minister to intervene and bring finality to the matter.
