House fire that killed a Ghanaian student in north Cyprus: Arab suspect confessed to setting fire on building on the request of the owner

The three men, who were accused of setting fire to objects in the stairwell and entrance of an apartment building in Haspolat on October 23, causing the death of one person and serious injury of another, were sent to prison for 2 months until trial.

The suspects, Sakher Mansour Abdul Elmughrabi, Illias El-Ghazali, and the building owner Mustafa Tutar, who were allegedly responsible for an arson attack on Tutar Apartment located in Haspolat that caused the death of a Ghanaian student and serious injury to another, were brought to court again today.

Police officer who presented the case in court stated that the suspects were arrested on charges of "Murder, Arson, Setting Fire to Building Property, and Serious Injury." The police reported that on October 23, 2024, at around 3:00 am, Sakher Mansour Abdul Elmughrabi and Illias El-Ghazali allegedly set fire to Tutar Apartment, owned by Mustafa Tutar, by pouring pure alcohol on the building for reasons yet to be determined. As a result of the fire, Derrick Bamfo Ampomah, a 24-year-old resident of apartment number 6, lost his life, while Jonathan Maukle Adjabeng sustained serious injuries.

"The suspect Tutar is a businessman; he owns three apartment buildings named Tutar 4, Tutar 5, and Tutar 6, and an office in Haspolat. Many people work for him. The African tenants of Tutar 5 Apartment, where the incident occurred, were previously living in Tutar 4 Apartment until last August. There were issues between Tutar and his tenants regarding the eviction of the apartment. Tutar had the tenants vacate Tutar 4 and move to Tutar 5, stating that they could stay there until December 31, 2024. However, the issues between Tutar and the tenants continued. On August 14, 2024, Tutar removed the windows despite the tenants being present and took their belongings outside without permission. After the students filed a police complaint, he had the windows reinstalled. But he still did not stop; he cut off the water and electricity. The students continued to live in inhuman conditions, without water and electricity, for months. Tutar also removed the doors from the common areas of the building.

On the day before the incident, October 22, 2024, Tutar and Sakher Mansour Abdul Elmughrabi, who helped find Arab tenants and worked on commission, went from Haspolat to Lefkosia. They spent time at a tavern and then returned to Haspolat. Tutar left Elmughrabi near his Range Rover. Tutar parked his car under CCTV cameras, made a call to his mistress, then turned off both his phones, leaving one in the car and taking the other home. 

In his statement, he claimed he went to sleep after turning off the phones. Tutar gave the police two phones, one of which was a Samsung device and the other of an unidentified brand. However, CCTV footage showed him using an iPhone before the incident, where he was seen talking to Elmughrabi. The police also noted that the other phone was not used before or after the incident. Elmughrabi, after separating from Tutar, went to pick up Illias El-Ghazali, and both entered the apartment building where the fire occurred. CCTV footage shows them entering the building twice, with El-Ghazali entering once alone but failing to start a fire. Later, the two suspects left the scene, procured pure alcohol, returned to the apartment, and started the fire by pouring the alcohol.

The suspects returned home, changed into shorts and slippers, and went to the scene pretending to have just been awakened by the news of the fire. Elmughrabi assisted in carrying out the deceased. A video recording reveals that the severely injured individual was heard moaning and calling for "help." Elmughrabi dismantled the building's security camera system, and his fingerprints were found on the dismantled camera. His palm print was also detected on the wall from which the camera was removed. El-Ghazali attempted to help by carrying water to put out the fire and assisting people in panic.

Tutar, who claimed to have turned off both phones and was asleep, said he learned about the fire from his wife. However, investigation revealed that his wife was called at 03:04. It was also discovered that he missed a call at 02:52 on his Samsung phone. Elmughrabi who received a call from someone at the scene, reportedly said, ‘If anyone asks, tell them I was with you all night.’ A statement was taken from the person who witnessed this conversation.”

The police reported that, through investigation, it was determined that Elmughrabi and Tutar tried every means to mislead the police. Illias El-Ghazali cooperated with the police, confessing in his last statement that he set the fire on Elmughrabi’s instructions.

The police stated that the part of the investigation the suspects could influence was complete, with 70 statements collected and 13 cameras reviewed over 19 days. It was noted that Elmughrabi was in the country with a work permit, El-Ghazali was a student, and Tutar, a dual citizen of Turkey and Northern Cyprus, was a wealthy businessman. The police reminded that Tutar was on bail for human trafficking and document forgery charges. The suspects are accused of murder, which carries a life sentence. The police requested that they be held in custody for 3 months, during which evidence would be sent to Turkey for forensic analysis of deleted phone data.

Prosecutor noted that if Tutar were to escape to Turkey illegally, he would not be extradited, and his prior bail for human trafficking charges increased his flight risk. Given the severity of the incident and the potential risk of the suspects evading justice, he requested they be held in custody.

Elmughrabi and Illias El-Ghazali’s lawyers did not oppose the prison request but argued that three months was excessive. Tutar’s lawyer objected to remand, arguing that Tutar was not a flight risk and provided witnesses to testify on his behalf.

Following the hearing, Judge Nuray Necdet ruled that all suspects be held in custody for a maximum of two months for trial purposes.