The Ewe fishing community at Jaway near Half Assini, was on Thursday thrown into a state of mourning and sorrow when the bodies of the women and four children who were poisoned to death arrived from the mortuary to the community for burial.
The bodies were those of Madam Ami Kugblenu 28, the former girl-friend of Mawutor Hovor, the suspect in the case, Nelson Woeko 2, Miracle Woeko 3, Fredrick Gatasi 3, and Angelica Yeatuna 6.
They were all laid in state under a single canopy before burial at the public cemetery.
Members of the over twenty migrant fishing companies in the area dressed in mourning clothes attended the funeral and burial service amidst the drumming and dancing of Agbadga, the traditional dance of the Anlos and people of southern Volta
The Jomoro District Chief Executive, Mr Sylvester Daddieh was among the personalities who attended the funeral.
Thursday is a non-working day for fishermen in the area.
According to the Half Assini Police, Mawutor Hovor, a 34-year old fisherman and his ex-girl friend, Madam Ami Kugblenu, the deceased, were separated for some time now, giving way for the woman to marry another man in the Community.
The Police said on February 16 this year Hovor who seems not to be satisfied with the separation with the woman, entered her house during her absence in the morning and mixed her stew with some chemical whose name was given as “Rodenticide”.
He said in the afternoon when Madam Ami Kugblenu and the four children ate the stew with some gari they complained of stomach upset and were rushed to the Half Assini Government Hospital.
The Police said the woman and four children died shortly on arrival at the hospital.
Their bodies were deposited at the Mortuary of the same hospital for autopsy.
The Police source said when a search was conducted at the suspect’s house later during police investigation, three empty packets of Rodenticide Chemical and some liquid suspected to have been used to poison the food were found at his room.
Meanwhile Hovor made his second appearance at the Half AssiniDistrict Magistrate Court on Thursday, March 5 and has remanded for the second time in Police custody to re-appear on March 19 2015.
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