Ampoah's Death by Fire: Police Findings Point to Landlord

The suspects, S.M.A.E. (25), I.E.G. (20), and M.T. (42), the landlord, were brought before the Nicosia District Court again yesterday after a four-day extension of their detention. They face charges of manslaughter, arson, setting fire to property, and grievous bodily harm.

During the court session, the police investigation officer, Assistant Inspector Ömer Faruk Şengil, revealed that S.M.A.E. and I.E.G. had entered the apartment, owned by M.T., multiple times. S.M.A.E. acted as a lookout while I.E.G. poured pure alcohol on items in the stairwell and set them on fire, causing the building to be torched. The fire led to the death of Derrick Bamfo Ampomah in apartment 6, while Jonathan Maukle Adjabeng (24) was severely injured.

Police also mentioned that the landlord, M.T., had a history of disputes with the tenants, particularly the African nationals living in the building. He allegedly cut off their electricity and water supply to force them to vacate. M.T. is also a contractor who employed several workers.

The investigation further revealed that S.M.A.E. and M.T. had a strong relationship, with S.M.A.E. working as an agent finding tenants for M.T.'s properties. On the night of the incident, M.T. and S.M.A.E. went to a tavern before returning to Haspolat, where M.T. dropped S.M.A.E. off near the scene of the crime. M.T. later claimed he had turned off his phone and gone to bed during the fire, attempting to conceal his involvement by providing one of his phones to the police.

In a disturbing twist, it was revealed that after the fire, S.M.A.E. returned to the scene and offered assistance to the victims, further complicating the case. Additionally, a phone conversation between S.M.A.E. and a friend was recorded, in which S.M.A.E. allegedly said, "If they ask, tell them I was with you all night."

The police have gathered 70 statements and 13 camera footage clips, with expert reports from Turkey pending. They requested that the suspects be held in custody for three months. Prosecutor Behrat Mavioğlu emphasized that the crime had caused public outrage and that M.T. was already under investigation for another case at the time.

The defense lawyers questioned the investigation's validity, raising concerns about the lack of direct evidence linking M.T. to the crime and calling the evidence presented "weak." Despite this, the judge ordered the suspects' detention for up to two months as the investigation continues.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Maukle Adjabeng, who survived the fire, attended the court session for updates on the case.