Adib Saani, a security expert, is advocating the establishment of a digital database for the Ghana Police Service, saying it would help fast-track criminal investigations in the country.
His suggestion follows the murder of two teenagers and a yet-to-be identified man at Abesim in the Bono Region.
Speaking with Kojo Mensah on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Wednesday (25 August), Saani said the Police Service must digitise and improve its investigation techniques.
“When we have the right systems in place, like DNA database, biometric database … In the past the vice-president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has made some moves in integrating the National Identification Authority database with that of the Passport [Office] and others.
“I think it can help to a very large extent in uncovering a lot of the murder cases before the police.
“In other jurisdictions, investigating murder is quite easy because they get to the crime scene and they are able to have a profile of the perpetrator just by looking at the victim or certain signs at the crime scene,” Saani said.
He added: “And then immediately they harvest the fingerprints and run [them] in their database and it helps … it doesn’t cost a lot of money to be able to implement that.”
Forensic examination
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service is to conduct a forensic examination on refrigerated human parts linked to the murder of three people in Abesim in the Bono Region.
Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, including a 28-year-old prime suspect, Richard Appiah.
The police said they have also retrieved the bodies of two teenagers who were found in the living room of the prime suspect at Alaska, near Abesim.
Speaking with Asaase News on Monday (23 August), the acting director general of public affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kwesi Ofori, said: “… Those two bodies are clear but those bodies that have been … and placed in the fridge might need a thorough forensic examination.
“The police will do that at the police crime laboratory at our Police Hospital, and [then] let us listen to the experts,” ACP Ofori said.
He added: “And let us wait for the experts to come out with their conclusive study as to whether it is one body in the fridge, or it is two, or whatever, and whether it is human or not human. Let us hold on for the expert advice.”
Background
The acting Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare, over the weekend directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters to assist in the investigation of the deaths of three people in Abesim in the Bono Region.
This followed the arrest of the alleged suspect Appiah by the police in Sunyani.
He is believed to have murdered Louis Agyemang Junior, aged 12, who was his stepbrother Stephen, aged 15, and a yet-to-be identified man.
The regional crime scene management team, regional crime officer and district commander in Sunyani have all been enlisted to assist with the investigation.
Fred Dzakpata
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