Missing Corpse Finds Way Back To Morgue

The corpse of an 85-year-old-man that mysteriosuly got missing from the family house at Behenase near Asante Bekwai in the Ashanti Region has been found in a hospital morgue. The remains of Opanin Kwaku Gyau got missing from a room where it was kept , to be laid in state. The location of the body could end days of apprehension amongst residents who feared a bad omen could befall the community if the corpse was not found. A police source at Bekwai told the Gaily Graphic Thursday that contrary to reports that the body had been secretly buried, it had been located in a morgue in an unnamed hospital. The incident had been traced to a chieftaincy dispute that pitched opposing groups in the deceased�s family. According to the police source, three people suspected to have played a role in the act were arrested but had been granted bail pending the conclusion of investigations. They are Baffour Gyau, 55, Akwasi Nkrumah, 65, and Madam Bebo, 70. On January 13, 2012, the body of Opanin Gyau who died in December 2011 was brought from the mortuary to the family house at Behenase to be prepared for the traditional lying in state, burial and final funeral rites. The body was kept in the room where it was to be laid in state for public viewing. In the same room, was the coffin that was to be used for the burial. Since there was no wake-keeping, family members went to sleep, awaiting dawn to open up the body for viewing. At about 3 a.m. on Saturday January 14, mourners started trooping to the house for the funeral. But to the utter surprise of all, when the room where the body was kept was opened at about 4 a.m, it was nowhere to be found. The scene was one of shock, as mourners could not believe what they were witnessing. A report was made to the police who instituted investigations into the matter. Later police had information that the body was sent back to the mortuary and upon further investigations, the three suspects were arrested.