MONROVIA – Three friends of the former Internal Audit Agency Director, Mr. Emmanuel B. Nyenswa who were with him at his residence on the night he mysteriously died have been held by the police, charged and placed in detention, FrontPageAfrica has gathered.
Those held by the police include Dr. Emmanuel Wreh, Mr. Teakon Williams and a female friend of the deceased.
Their arrest and subsequent detention come ahead of the release of the autopsy report which details are expected to be made public later this week. The autopsy would determine the cause of death.
Police spokesman, Moses Carter, told FrontPageAfrica that he is not aware of any suspect being held in detention as the police is awaiting the autopsy report to conclude its investigation.
However, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, who represents the legal interest of one of the suspects in police detention confirmed that his client has been charged with homicide by the police and is in police detention. He said the legal team is working on a petition for a writ of hebeas corpus which would be filed later today for the release of his client.
He also added that the legal team is considering further steps to take on the charges but failed to provide any further detail.
Habeas corpus is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, to bring the prisoner to court, to determine whether the detention is lawful.
“We are winding down now and we will make a determination once the probe is completed. In the meantime, the autopsy report will be delivered this week. We are waiting for the autopsy before concluding. We could not arrest people while the autopsy was still being done. Now, that it is nearly completed, we have to ask questions.”
– Police Source
Non-Cooperative?
However, sources familiar with the ongoing police investigation informed FrontPageAfrica that the suspects were present at the home of Mr. Nyenswa the night he died but they have been non-cooperative with the investigation.
“When we call them, they either refuse to come or fail to respond to our request. They have been going and coming for interrogation. When we call them, they come at their own volition,” the police source said.
The police source said the police have been interviewing the suspects since the death of Mr. Nyenswa and would come out with a determination once the investigation is completed.
The police source: “They have been playing around. So, now we are stepping up the probe and interrogation until we get some answers. The way we will exert pressure, somebody will break down. But we must hear something from those who were present in the house.
“We are winding down now and we will make a determination once the probe is completed. In the meantime, the autopsy report will be delivered this week. We are waiting for the autopsy before concluding. We could not arrest people while the autopsy was still being done. Now, that it is nearly completed, we have to ask questions.”
Investigators are also raising questions about the door leading out of Mr. Nyeswah’s bedroom, where he reportedly fell to his death. “The door, when you closed the door, it cannot open from outside. Whoever slept there have to answer question. We are winding down now and we will make a determination once the probe is completed. In the meantime, the autopsy report will be delivered this week. We are waiting for the autopsy before concluding. We could not arrest people while the autopsy was still being done. Now, that it is nearly completed, we have to ask questions,” the police source said.
What is not clear is that while the police is yet to complete the investigation, FrontPageAfrica has seen police documents confirming that charges have already been pressed against the suspects.
FrontPageAfrica further gathered that the Police latest move comes in reaction to threats by the Nyenwah’s family to sue the government in relation to his death.
The Night at De Calabash
It all started late afternoon on Friday, October 9, when the late Nyeswa and three housemates, Teakon Williams, Dr. Emmanuel Wreh and a female friend arrived at De Calabash hangout spot, chatted with friends and had a few drinks.
Both Mr. Williams and Dr. Wreh, are long-time friend who shared the house with the late IAA director.
The late Nyeswa, according to statements given to police, viewed by FrontPageAfrica, called Mr. Williams to come out for a drink at De Calabash. They all hung out until about 11p.m. when they decided to leave.
Mr. Nyeswa had been at De Calabash from around 5pm and Williams joined him around 7pm.
Looking back, Mr. Williams told Police that it appeared a car was tracking Mr. Nyeswa. “When Nyeswa got to his car it was blocked by one Mong or Monk. I believe they block him to track him movement (when he was leaving) and stage a crime scene in his absence (opening that top door). We left got to the house and everybody retired to their rooms. Barten and myself had female friends with us.”
Back at the House
When Nyeswa and friends finally returned home around 11pm, Williams told police he (Williams) was the last to enter the house.
Williams told police that he locked the back door three times. “The front door was already locked. In fact, it was locked the whole week because, the Late Nyeswa could not find the key.”
At about 1a.m, Williams told Police that the security came knocking on his door and when he opened it, he asked the security, “how did you enter”.
The security reportedly told Williams, according to statement given to police, that the door was opened.
Williams says he then proceeded to knock on Mr. Nyeswa’s door, where he was with a female friend.
Williams says he told the friend to come with him downstairs, where they found Nyeswa bleeding from his head and ears.
Mr. Williams says he told the friend to notify Dr. Emmanuel Wreh, who was also in the house. “We all tried to resuscitate him but to no avail.”
According to the statement given to police, When Dr. Wreh looked up he realized that the door (the emergency door) was opened. He let me know that.”
This was the door located in the bedroom of Mr. Nyeswa.
Williams, in statement to police, said he looked at his phone and realized that Mr. Norris Tweah had called him around 12:22a.m. Williams says he called Norris, who along with him, took Nyeswa to the hospital where he died an hour later.
Mystery Over How Security Entered House
Close friends to Williams say they believe that they too may have been targets.
According to the housemates, Mr. Bill Twehway, Managing Director of the National Port Authority also has keys to Nyeswa’s home.
One of the housemates, speaking to FPA on condition of anonymity believe that Nyeswa was lured from his room and killed. “I was asleep, I don’t know whether Nyeswa received a call and went out. But I saw the security inside the house, and up till now not one of us knows how he entered. We remember locking the door.”
Both Nyeswa and Twehway reportedly lived on 16th street together.
While investigators confirmed that Mr. Twehway had unhindered access to Mr. Nyenswa’s house, it remains unclear whether he would be called for investigation.
Twehway has maintained that the allegation that he had keys to the deceased home is an “outrageous” lie.
