Police prosecutors have reported that they are awaiting guidance from the Attorney General’s Office after completing investigations into the deaths of three siblings suspected to be caused by an insecticide used for bedbug control.
The police have revealed that they have obtained an autopsy report detailing the cause of death, given that the victims have already been laid to rest. The case has been adjourned until March 4, 2024.
On December 28, 2023, 15-year-old Judith Ekua Frans and her siblings, 11-year-old Christian Magdaline Efua Frans and six-year-old Nana Benin, visited their grandmother in Asawase for school holidays.
While preparing a room for the children’s stay, their uncle, Anthony Frans, applied an insecticide, Toptoxin Fumigation tablet, also known as a ‘bomb,’ to disinfect the room against bedbugs.
The three siblings and their 66-year-old grandmother, Ekua Gyaabena, slept in the room that night. The following morning, they were found unconscious, and all four were rushed to the hospital.
Unfortunately, Christian Magdaline Efua Frans and Nana Benin died upon arrival, while the grandmother and Judith Ekua Frans were admitted. Judith Ekua Frans later succumbed while on admission.
The Assembly Member for the Asawase East Electoral area, Mathew Amissah, described the incident to Citi News, stating that it has plunged the community into grief.
Upon being informed of the incident, Amissah rushed to the hospital and discovered the tragedy. Anthony Frans, the uncle responsible for applying the chemical, was subsequently arrested and detained as part of the police investigations.
Anthony Frans appeared in court on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, for the second time. The police charged him provisionally with murder, and prosecutors requested more time to continue their investigations.
However, Defense Counsel Evans Amankwaah requested bail for his client, arguing that Anthony Frans deserved the right to be granted bail while investigations continued. Amankwaah emphasized the tragic nature of the incident and urged the police to adopt a more lenient stance.
The court granted bail to the accused, setting a sum of GHC20,000 with two sureties. The bodies of the deceased have been placed in the morgue for preservation and autopsy. The case has been adjourned to January 23, 2024.
