Wednesday 15th December 2021, began like any other day for Mr. Kwarteng, a terrazzo expert in Community six (6), a suburb of Akim-Oda in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
As was usual of him, the fifty four (54) year old husband and father of five, summoned his family for prayer after which he took his breakfast and stayed glued to his radio; listening to politics and current affairs.
However, a call he received from one Johnnie Essel-his friend-who works with Agric Development Bank (ADB) in Accra as a driver that fateful morning, would turn events against Kwarteng and leave his family, friends and loved ones in limbo for days.
Mr. Kwarteng, a native of Kade Nkwantanan, is said to have informed his family that his friend Johnnie had called to notify him of his journey to Oda that day and that he had asked him-Kwarteng-to meet him at a specific location. Mrs. Mercy Kwarteng hinted afropolitanonline.com that around 4pm that day, Kwarteng told her that Johnnie had called him to come and meet him. After that call, Mercy and her children, Kwarteng’s friends and family members have never heard nor seen him again.
When efforts to reach Kwarteng failed the next morning, Mercy Kwarteng, reported his sudden disappearance to the Akim-Oda District Police Command for investigation. Johnnie Essel was immediately invited, cautioned and detained for two days to help the Police in investigations.
Surprise turn
Upon interrogation, Johnnie claimed, though he called Kwarteng earlier, he never saw him on that fateful day. However, several eye witnesses have given consistent accounts of seeing Kwarteng and Johnnie Essel together in a taxi moving about in town.
For now, Johnnie Essel has been granted bail in a surprise twist of events leaving some town folks wondering as to how the case will fare with others asking whether Kwarteng is just missing or dead.
Jeffery Jones
