What was meant to be a solemn farewell to a devoted churchman has turned into a nightmare of grief, shock, and unanswered questions for the family of George Kwame Antwi, a 40-year-old steward of the Presbyterian Church.
On Saturday, January 17, 2026, just hours before his scheduled burial, the Antwi family was informed that his body had mysteriously gone missing from the Assin Brofoyedur Mortuary in the Central Region.
The devastating revelation shattered an otherwise well-prepared funeral ceremony in Assin Odumase. Mourners had travelled from across the country, canopies were mounted, sound systems tested, caterers had finished cooking, and undertakers stood by—only for the retrieval team to return from the mortuary without a body.
According to the family, they were later directed to the police station, where they were told that George Kwame Antwi had allegedly been buried three months earlier by an entirely different family, who had mistaken his remains for those of their 75-year-old relative.
“Before the team could proceed, we were asked to report to the police station, where we were informed that another family had wrongly buried our relative about three months ago,”— Asare Obeng, Head of the Antwi Family.
George Kwame Antwi passed away in September 2025 and had been preserved at the Assin Brofoyedur Mortuary for about four months. Preliminary findings suggest that a body mix-up occurred late last year, when mortuary attendants allegedly handed over the wrong remains to a grieving family.
Despite the 30-year age difference, that family reportedly proceeded with the burial. Shockingly, the body of the 75-year-old man they were seeking is said to still be in the mortuary freezer, unclaimed and incorrectly labelled.
The revelation has left the Antwi family emotionally shattered and trapped in an agonising limbo. Beyond mourning the death of a loved one, they are now grappling with the trauma of knowing his remains lie in a stranger’s grave.
The Presbyterian Church, which had prepared to honour one of its dedicated stewards, has also been plunged into disbelief.
The family says it has already spent thousands of cedis on funeral preparations, all of which were rendered futile by what they describe as gross negligence at the mortuary.
In response, the Antwi family has issued three key demands:
- Immediate Exhumation: A court order to retrieve George Kwame Antwi’s remains from where they were wrongly buried.
- Full Compensation: Coverage for all wasted funeral expenses and legal costs associated with the exhumation process.
- Accountability: A full investigation into the conduct of mortuary staff whose actions led to the body swap.
As investigations continue, the family says justice, closure, and dignity for their departed relative remain their only consolation in an ordeal that has deepened their grief.
