Social media posts claiming that the 16-year-old suspect in the East Legon crash that killed two people is not being held at the Osu Correctional Center as directed by the court have been denied by the Ghana Police Service.

According to the police, the suspect, the teenage son of popular preacher Salifu Amoako, was detained in Osu following a court order on Friday, November 1, 2024 and is still there.

The police clarified in an official statement that “the suspected teenager has indeed been taken to the Osu Correctional Center as ordered by the court and remains there in custody,” calling the allegations making the rounds online “false.”

The public has been warned that the dissemination of such false information is illegal under section 208 of the Criminal Offenses Act, 1960 (Act 29), which makes it an offence.

Two social media accounts have been identified by authorities as being involved in spreading the false information: a Facebook user named “EmpressPapa A-Amigos” and a TikTok account with the username “prisywanlov1”. The police intend to take the necessary legal steps and investigations are still ongoing to identify the people behind these accounts.

“It is extremely unfortunate that certain individuals are exploiting this circumstance in an un-Genese way to draw attention to themselves,” the statement continued.

Police also urged the public to show respect and sensitivity to bereaved families by refraining from sharing unverified information and warned against spreading false narratives at such a sensitive time.