Three men arrested for setting fire in an apartment building that killed a Ghanaian student and injured another in Hapsolat

Three men were arrested in connection with the fire incident in Haspolat that left one person dead and another seriously injured with the police revealing that the apartment was set on fire.

The fire incident occurred in the stairway at the entrance of an apartment building located in Hapsolat at around 3:00 am on Wednesday October 23.

Occupants of the apartment, Derrick Bamfo Ampomah, 24 and Jonathan Maukle Adjabeng, 24, both Ghanaian nationals were taken to the Dr. Burhan Nalbantoğlu State Hospital in Lefkosia but Derrick died despite all effort to save him while Jonathan is still under observation in the surgical ward.

Derrick Bamfo Ampomah was a nursing student at the Cyprus international university.

The fire was extinguished by the Fire Department.

Suitcases and clothes stored in the stairwell, two generators, security camera cables, 10 electrical fuses and an electrical panel, and 1 gas cylinder were burned and damaged, while the walls of the entire building were damaged due to the smoke and heat.

Three men of Arab origin, named only as MT, 42, SMAE, 25 and İ.EG, 20 were later identified and arrested in connection with the incident. 

Investigation carried out regarding the cause of the fire determined that SMAE and İ.EG had entered the apartment building for yet an unknown reason and set fire to the items inside the building using a flammable material they had with them.

They were brought to the Lefkosa court on Thursday morning on charges of "murder, arson, setting fire to objects in buildings and serious injury".

Police said the suspects SMAE and IEG entered the apartment building owned by suspect M.T. in Haspolat at 2.40 am on Wednesday October 23 for an unknown reason and set fire to the building by setting fire to the items inside the building using incendiary and flammable materials at their disposal.

The suspects caused the death of Derrick Bamfo Ampomah, 24 who lives in flat 6 of the apartment building as a result of the fire, and the serious injuries of Jonathan Maukle Adjabeng, 24.

Investigating Officer stated that the suspects SMAE and IEG gave their statements voluntarily. The Officer stated that an autopsy was performed on the deceased yesterday and that a total of 22 statements were obtained.

The Officer said there were many camera footage to be reviewed and that the obtained footages would be examined He said voluntary statements would be verified and requested that the suspects remain in custody at the police station.

Speaking in court, Çağdaş Par, the lawyer of the suspects SMAE and M.T. argued that his client, SMAE, was forced and pressured to give a voluntary statement, and had his client testify as a witness. 

The judge, ordered that the suspects be detained for one day and that the suspect SMAE be examined by a doctor in a fully equipped hospital.