That was after the juvenile pleaded guilty to eight counts of manslaughter, negligently causing harm, dangerous driving, and driving without licence in court on Thursday, December 19, 2024.

The convict had earlier pleaded not guilty to eight counts – which comprised two counts of manslaughter, three counts of negligently causing harm, two counts of dangerous driving and a count of driving without a valid license.

The Juvenile Court in Accra presided over by Her Worship Bernice Mensimah Ackon convicted him on his own plea and sentenced him to six months.

The sentence is the highest punishment prescribed by the Juvenile Justice Act, for a juvenile offender for manslaughter.

As part of his sentencing, the court said he is to sign an undertaking not to drive until he turns 18 years as per the laws of Ghana.

Again, the juvenile is to report to Probation Officers periodically on every Friday and his punishment is to start immediately.

Meanwhile, his father Bishop Salifu Amoako and mother Mouha Amoako have both been fined 500 penalty units each which is equivalent to GH₵;6,000 each for failing to control their son.

The Court ordered Bishop Salifu Amoako to pay for the damages of properties destroyed including a light pole valued over GH₵;8,000.

The court has also ordered the parents sign an undertaking to be responsible for the proper upbringing of their son.

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The juvenile, who is facing eight counts of manslaughter, negligently causing harm, dangerous driving, and driving without a license, was first remanded when he appeared in court last Friday.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his first appearance before the Family and Juvenile Court.

It is unclear whether the juvenile has been sent to a correctional center or placed under the care of his parents in accordance with Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2003 (ACT 653), since the case has not been opened to the public.

This provision states that if a juvenile is not granted bail, the court may order the juvenile to be committed to the care of their parents, guardian, close relative, or another suitable person, or to be remanded to a facility near the court.

The case has been adjourned until November 13, 2024.

Prosecution’s Facts: Assistant State Attorney Ebenezer Yaw Acquah presented the facts, stating that, despite his age and lack of a valid driving license, the juvenile had been frequently allowed to drive cars owned by his family members.

On October 12, 2024, the family threw a birthday party for Elyon at an event center in East Legon. During the party, the juvenile requested the keys to his mother’s Jaguar F-Pace sports car from Linda Bonsu Bempah, a personal assistant to the family.

While the party continued, Linda handed over the keys to the juvenile. He took the car and drove with a friend to the A&C Mall, where they met more friends in two SUVs.

The group formed a convoy, led by the juvenile in his mother’s car, and drove through East Legon.

At one point, while traveling along Dzane-Ashie Road, the juvenile decided to accelerate recklessly, reaching top speed before approaching a T-junction at Mensah Wood Avenue without regard for other road users. At this high speed, he crashed into an Acura driven by Joseph Ackah, who was attempting to navigate the turn.

The impact was violent, propelling both vehicles across the street and smashing into a wall. Both cars caught fire immediately. The juvenile and his passenger managed to escape the burning vehicle, but the driver of the Acura, Joseph Ackah, had been carrying his boss’s two daughters—one of them a toddler—and their friends, two 12-year-olds. The children were trapped in the car, and despite bystanders’ efforts with fire extinguishers, the flames intensified, and they could not be saved.

As the flames spread, one of the volunteers managed to rescue the toddler and her sister, but the other two children perished in the fire. The investigation revealed that the juvenile’s reckless driving endangered the lives of everyone on the road.

The juvenile admitted to taking the keys from Linda Bempah, driving to the mall, and picking up his friend before the tragic crash.

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Mr. Amoah, whose Facebook username is EmpressPapa A-Amigos, alleged that the 16-year-old was not in custody as ordered by the Juvenile Court in Accra.

However, the Police have denied the claims, stating that Elrad has been in custody since the court order on Tuesday, November 1, 2024, and remains in custody as of Tuesday, November 8.

In a statement, the police labeled the claims as false and warned that publishing such misinformation violates Section 208 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which addresses the dissemination of false information.

In an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr. Amoah stated that the police were misinforming the public.

According to him, he visited the facility on Saturday, November 2, 2024, and has evidence to back his claims.

He insisted that Elrad is supposed to be in remand since the case is still ongoing, not in a Correctional Centre.

“The remand wing had been non-operational for some time due to arson until some Ghanaians came to renovate the facility. Even when I went to the Osu facility on Saturday, the door was ajar, and there was nobody there,” he said.

“The Police are misinforming the public because they said the boy was at a correctional centre, which is vague. Even if it’s Osu, they need to be specific because there is no probation there at the moment. It is a lawful child custody, which is the Boys Remand Home, and that is where the boy is supposed to be. So why would you say Osu Correctional Centre?” he questioned.

With the Police currently searching for him to face justice, Mr. Amoah stated that Elrad is easy to find but expects that the Police will do the needful and clearly state where Elrad is.

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The juvenile, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces eight counts, including manslaughter, negligently causing harm, dangerous driving, and driving without a license.

On November 1, 2024, he appeared before the Family and Juvenile Court in Accra and pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The court has since remanded him to a correctional facility and ordered him to surrender his American and Ghanaian passports.

He is scheduled to reappear in court on November 7.

Prosecution’s case:

Presenting the facts, Assistant State Attorney Ebenezer Yaw Acquah noted that despite the accused’s age and lack of a valid driver’s license, his family members frequently allowed him access to their vehicles.

On October 12, 2024, the accused’s family held a birthday party for Elyon Amoako at an event centre in East Legon.

During the event, the teenager reportedly asked Linda Bonsu Bempah for the keys to his mother’s Jaguar F-Pace Sport, which she handed over.

Linda is a personal assistant to Elyon Amoako and during her duties supervising events at the party, had been given the keys to hold on to.

According to the prosecution, the accused, along with a friend, drove to the A&C Mall, where they met friends in two other SUVs. The three cars then formed a convoy, led by the accused in his mother’s car, driving through East Legon.

The prosecutor said that on Dzane-Ashie Road, the accused allegedly accelerated to high speeds, ignoring other road users.

As he approached a T-junction at Mensah Wood Avenue, he collided with an Acura driven by Joseph Ackah, who was transporting his employer’s two daughters and their friends, both 12 years old.

Mr. Acquah recounted, “The 16-year-old rammed into the rear of the Acura; the collision was violent and destructive, propelling both vehicles across the street and smashing into the wall of the house opposite the junction, destroying an ECG pole in the process.”

Both vehicles caught fire immediately. While the accused and his passenger managed to escape, the occupants of the Acura were trapped inside. Bystanders attempted to douse the flames with fire extinguishers but were unable to suppress the blaze.

The driver forced his door open and was pulled to safety, but the volunteers were only able to rescue the toddler and her sister from the back seat. Tragically, the two other girls remained trapped, and bystanders were ultimately unable to save them as the car burned.

An investigation found that the accused had been driving in a manner “that fell way below what was expected of any competent and careful driver,” recklessly endangering other road users.

The accused admitted to taking the keys from Linda Bempah, picking up a friend, and driving to the A&C Mall before the incident.

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The court proceedings addressed the conditions surrounding his remand and outlined specific directives for his custody and care.

The court ordered that Elrad be remanded to reappear on November 7 for further proceedings.

To ensure compliance with bail conditions, his Ghanaian and U.S. passports are to be surrendered and deposited at the court by Monday, November 4.

As part of the conditions, the court directed that Amoako undergo a medical review at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) on November 4. This measure is to address any health considerations that may arise while he is in remand.

In the event of any urgent medical issue during the period of remand, the court ordered that he be taken to the Police Hospital for immediate treatment, ensuring he has access to essential medical care.

The accident, which occurred in October 2024, claimed the lives of two young girls and left others injured.

Elrad was initially treated at the Legon Hospital for severe injuries but was referred to UGMC for specialized care.

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The admission followed a ghastly accident in East Legon that claimed the lives of two young girls and left others injured.

Elrad was initially treated at the Legon Hospital for severe injuries but was referred to UGMC for specialized care.

A medical report signed by Dr. Fred Salawu, an orthopaedic surgeon at UGMC, revealed that the 16-year-old suffered an open right ankle dislocation and facial lacerations.

He underwent emergency surgery, including debridement, external fixation of his right ankle, and a flap cover procedure on October 14, 2024.

Surgical findings showed: Open right ankle joint dislocation with an unstable joint (Gustillo III B), tear of the anterior and posterior talofibular, and calcaneofibular ligaments.

Following the surgery, Amoako underwent split skin grafting for his post-traumatic ulcer on October 21, 2024.

He is currently mobilizing without bearing weight on his right leg.

Dr. Salawu confirmed that Elrad was discharged from the hospital on October 28, 2024, to continue his recovery on an outpatient basis.

The clarification follows reports on Tuesday alleging that Dr. Salawu prevented the police from interrogating Elrad, who is the suspected driver.

However, the medical report states that the boy is currently unfit for police interrogation due to his ongoing treatment.

Dr. Salawu has pledged to notify the relevant authorities once Elrad completes his treatment and is deemed fit for questioning.

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Read the full statement below:

A medical officer attending to the 16-year-old, Elrad Salifu Amoako at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) on Tuesday prevented the Police from interrogating him.

The medical officer claimed the boy was not fit though sources have revealed he has been discharged.

The development has heightened suspicions and concerns among all interested parties in the matter as the move appears to be a deliberate attempt to tie the hands of the Police in their effort to bring justice to families of the deceased.

“It is unbelievable and shocking that a doctor will go ahead to discharge the boy from the hospital after undergoing all the various processes of healthcare and yet that same doctor has written a note to the Police saying the boy cannot be interrogated by the Police until he the same doctor says so.

“How is this fair to the families who are going through this difficult times? Why is the doctor bent on preventing the police from doing their work,” a family member of one of the victims bemoaned in an interview with Myjoyonline.com.

A UGMC staff who also spoke on condition of anonymity said “This is very strange, the boy is looking strong and in good shape so we cannot understand why Dr Fred Salawu appears to be shielding him from the police.

“It appears Dr Salawu is being motivated by something else because this is very strange. It is just not fair to the girls who died and their families. Will this special treatment be extended to every person or it is because his father has money and influence”.

Meanwhile, sources say the Police are disappointed in the posture of the medical officer as all efforts to get the suspect interrogated is impeded by the physician.

Nonetheless officers of the Ghana Police are keeping and eye on the suspect until such time when the medical officer will clear him fit for an encounter with the law enforcement agency.

The accident which ignited massive public outcry led to the untimely death of two 12-year-old girls as their car caught fire after Elrad rammed into their vehicle.

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