Exclusive: Man who died at Japan airport was born in Kumasi

The 55-year-old man carrying a valid Belgian passport who died last Sunday in Japan was born in the Garden City of Ghana, Kumasi, ghanabusinessnews.com can reveal.

According to Ghana Embassy officials who spoke to ghanabusinessnews.com on the phone, information in the Belgian passport which the deceased presented to immigration officials says he was born in Kumasi in 1955.

But ghanabusinessnews.com sources in Belgium say, he hails from Vakpo in the Volta Region and he was married to a native of Kpando. The cause of death has not yet been determined.

The man, whose name was given as Kwadwo Akyereko also holds a Ghanaian passport which also indicates his place of birth as Kumasi.

The Embassy official, Bonaventure Adjavor, told ghanabusinessnews.com that Akyereko left Accra last Saturday on Emirates flight number 788 to Dubai where he connected with another Emirates flight number EK 316 to Kansai Airport in Osaka, Japan. He said when the deceased’s luggage was searched nothing suspicious was found.

Japan immigration officials however, wanted to know the purpose of his visit to the country and took him in for further questioning, earlier reports have said.

“He was not cooperative and suddenly ran away from the office. As we caught him, he became limp. He was sent to a nearby hospital, and his death was confirmed there.” The reports quoted the officials as saying.

The death of Akyereko who was based in Antwerp has shocked the Ghanaian community there.

Meanwhile, the Ghana mission in Japan has told ghanabusinessnews.com that the Belgian Embassy in that country has taken over the matter, because the deceased presented his Belgian passport on entering the country.

Information available to ghanabusinessnews.com also says doctors are waiting for a judicial permit to be able to conduct autopsy to determine the cause of death.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi