The Immigration Officer, Edward Kofi Owusu, Assistant Controller of Immigration (ACOI) and Head of the Enforcement Unit, who has been accused of murdering his junior officer, Kofi Quist Defor has petitioned the Interior Minister to seek justice and perpetual freedom.
ACOI Owusu in his petition to the Minister, Kwesi Ahwoi and made available to the DAILY HERITAGE, noted that four months after he was accused, detained over night for the alleged murder and granted self-recognizance bail, the police have not followed up for further investigations and prosecution of the case, but he always reports to the police twice every week.
The alleged murderer noted in his petition to the Minister that �it is so revealing that I did not know the murdered officer. Neither do I remember ever meeting him in my life. I am an Assistant Controller of Immigration (ACOI) (Superintendent as in Police) and he an Immigration Control Officer (ICO) (Corporal as in Police)!
�However, for very strange reasons I am being implicated just because the Ag, Director Dr. Peter Wiredu has held the view and some officers very close to him have confided in me that the Director suspects that I am among officers who are suspected of writing to the newspapers for his removal from office.�
ACOI Owusu stated that he was yet to understand why four months down the line, not a single officer of the team he conducted an inspection with has been invited for any questioning to at least establish the veracity or otherwise of what transpired seven months to the murder of the victim.
He said the manner in which events unfolding to his arrest and detention as well as his release clearly indicated that the Director General of Immigration, Dr. Peter Wiredu was in a collision course with him.
The Officer explained that prior to the murder allegation leveled against him, he was transferred as Chief Staff Officer to the Enforcement Unit and later called by the Director to surrender the official vehicle without a replacement although �very junior officers of the Service were allocated official cars.�
In addition, he noted in the petition that the Director tried to eject him from his official residence and refused to pay his electricity bill for ten months totaling GHC3,000.00.
He said this forced fourteen tailoring staff of the service, working from his official residence for the service, to stay at home for four weeks because they were disconnected for the indebtedness and their machines were electrical.
During his interrogation and detention, he stated that all attempts to get the Director General to talk to the police for a bail proved futile until the next morning when his family brought him a newspaper publication stating that he and another officer have been detained for the murder of the deceased.
ACOI Owusu said after all the interactions and interrogations and having written his statement, they �were told categorically that from what they have gathered there was nothing so incriminating for which we should be detained,� but they had to speak with the Immigration Boss before freeing them.
After he was granted self-recognizance bail, according to the petitioner, �some four months ago till now the Director has not spoken to me. The fact that I am back to the same office, performing the same functions and cannot even be interdicted�. but rather being appointed Head of Investigations, speaks volumes and clearly shows how hollow the murder allegation is � perhaps with a master hand pulling the strings.�
The Officer is therefore calling on the Interior Minister to intervene since his continuous report to the police �is having very dire ramifications for me. It is restricting my movements and is psychologically affecting my person. I want to be charged at the law courts or be cleared of the charges so that I can regain my freedom.�
Also, a cessation of the continuous harassments, especially at work, �a retraction of the story in the same medium of Daily Graphic and given the same prominence to the effect that I know nothing about the murder of Kofi Quist Defor . An unqualified apology from the plotters and any other reliefs that you may deem fit to restore my reputation and damaged image.�
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