The brother of controversial 1990s-era witch doctor, Dr Sri Yogi Ram Beckley, has revealed new details about the circumstances of his death, shedding light on events that have remained unclear to the public to this day.
Speaking to the Crime De La Crime crew during a visit to his home, Roger Beckley, a lawyer by profession, said his brother died incognito, meaning even his own siblings do not know where he was buried.
Although he could not recall the exact year, Roger Beckley mentioned that Dr Beckley’s death occurred between 2011 and 2012.
He emphasised that previous reports at the time had not captured the full story.
“For me, specific details regarding my brother’s demise even remain a mystery.
“He decided to die incognito. I don’t know how and I don’t know where he was buried because we were not on good terms at the time of his death,” he stated.
When asked about the estranged relationship and the mystery surrounding his brother’s death, Roger Beckley explained, “As a brother, he was supposed to take care of us following the death of our father, not because we wanted him to provide food.
“No, because I had already come on pension before he passed. It was at the death of our father that we had our issues. We needed to discuss how the funeral was going to take place, and Dr Beckley decided to do his own thing. That led to a clash between us, and that is why we were not on good talking terms.”
Lawyer Roger Beckley further stated that out of the nine children in the family, Dr Beckley, in his view, brought disrepute to himself and the entire family the most.
“Because the stories people heard about him came from Gbawe, then the next place he lived, and finally the last place he lived. You alone, out of nine, or let me say eight, he decided to destroy his name and tarnish the reputation of the entire family,” he lamented.
Dr Beckley was allegedly linked to the kidnapping of schoolchildren and women who were reportedly used for ritual purposes in the 1990s and early 2000s.
He and his associates were accused of luring victims by posing as buyers of fruits and vegetables or as relatives of missing persons.
Other methods were also reportedly used to target victims.
Despite several failed attempts to stop his activities, Dr Beckley’s home was raided by police in February 1994.
Officers reportedly found school uniforms and human skulls on the premises, prompting an angry mob to set his house on fire.
He was later brought before a Regional Tribunal on June 25, 1994, which granted him bail of five million old cedis (GH¢500), after the Adjabeng Community Tribunal had earlier denied him bail.
MA/AE
