A suspected Togolese political assassin was on Sunday arrested in the Ghanaian capital in a joint Ghanaian-Togolese police operation, the Ghana News Agnecy (GNA) reported.
GNA said the joint team arrested Barry Altine (24) in the early hours of Sunday. He is alleged to have attempted to assassinate a top functionary of President Gnassingbe Eyadema’s government in Togo and took refuge in Accra.
Altine, on October 24, allegedly stabbed Mousier Moussa Barry Barque (60) at his home and escaped to Ghana through the main Ghanaian border at Aflao. Barque, who is in a critical condition, has since been flown to Paris, France for medical attention.
David Asante-Apeatu, director of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Ghana, said police located Altine following a tip-off.
He said a joint Ghanaian and Togolese police team led by Inspector Douglas Awuvey of Interpol Accra went to apprehend Altine at his hideout at Mataheko in Accra between 0400 hours and 0500 hours on Sunday.
Asante-Apeatu said Altine removed a louver blade and wounded one of the officers and attempted to take his life by stabbing himself in the stomach.
He was rushed to the 37th Military Hospital, for emergency surgery. He explained that the Togolese police were present to make for easy identification of Altine, adding that he would be transferred to Lome as soon the medical officers gave the go ahead.
The Togolese Police have been cooperating with their Ghanaian counterparts. One of such joint efforts led to the arrest from Togo of Ghanaian John Malm, alias Baby Nii, a notorious criminal who ran away from the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, when he was taken to the Nsawam Government Hospital. – Sapa-DPA