The partner of former EastEnders actor Sian Blake, who was found dead with her two sons, has been charged with three counts of murder after appearing in court in Ghana on Tuesday.
Arthur Simpson-Kent's lawyer, Justice Srem-Sai, confirmed the charges to BuzzFeed News and said the judge had remanded his client in custody until 26 January, when the extradition process is due to start.
Ghanaian authorities arrested Simpson-Kent, 48, on Saturday on behalf of Scotland Yard, and he was taken to the capital, Accra.
They believe he arrived in the West African country on 19 December.
He was found near a beach resort in Busua, in the west of the country, and had been cutting a coconut when armed police surrounded him, the BBC reported.
Blake, 43, and her two children, Zachary and Amon, aged 8 and 4 respectively, were reported missing on 16 December.
Their bodies were discovered on 5 January, in the garden of the family's home in southeast London. All three had died as a result of head and neck injuries, a postmortem revealed.
The bodies of Sian Blake, 43, and her two children, Zachary (right) and Amon, aged 8 and 4, were discovered in the garden of the family’s home in southeast London.
Blake and her two children were last seen visiting family in Leyton, east London, on 13 December.
The actress suffered from motor neurone disease and was said by neighbours to have looked "very frail" before her disappearance.
Metropolitan police officers had spoken to Simpson-Kent at the family home in Pembroke Road, Erith, but had not seen him since. The family were reported missing on 16 December.
Blake's silver-beige Renault Scenic was found in Calvert Avenue in Bethnal Green, east London, on Sunday 3 January. Police do not know who parked it there.
The Met's handling of the case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission for investigation.
The Met announced on Sunday that an application for Simpson-Kent's extradition will be "made by officers and partner agencies in due course".