Two remanded over Melcom disaster

Nana Nkansah Boadi Ayeboafo, the owner of the five-storey building which housed the collapsed Achimota Melcom Shopping Complex has been remanded into police custody by an Accra District Magistrate Court.

In the dock with Ayeboafo on Monday was Carl Henry Clerke, Municipal Head of Works Department of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) who was also remanded.

The two accused persons are facing a provisional charge of negligently causing harm.

They have pleaded not guilty to the charge before the court presided over by Mrs. Mariam Affoh and are to reappear on November 30.

Prosecuting Mr. Yaw Twumasi-Ankrah, the Chief Prosecutor of AMA told the court that on November 7, this year at about 9:45 am a five-storey building that housed Melcom’s Shopping Complex at Achimota, Accra, collapsed while workers and shoppers were inside the building.

Mr. Twumasi-Ankrah said in the process, 82 persons and others got trapped.

He said a Combined Emergency Team from the Ghana National Fire Services, National Ambulance, Ghana Police Service, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Ghana Armed Forces and other security personnel were able to rescue 82 persons some of whom were currently on admission at the 37 Military Hospital.

According to the prosecutor during investigations, it came to light that the owner of the building was Ayeboafo and it is believed that the materials used in the construction of the building were of low quality.

On the part of Clerke, the prosecutor noted that Clerke failed to perform his rightful duties as head of Works Department of the AMA.

Mr. Twumasi-Ankrah told the court that investigations were ongoing and prayed the court to remand the accused persons to assist in the investigations.

Source: GNA