Farmer and two others remanded in custody for murder
Nigerian businessman charged with robbery
Three charged for
assaulting doctor
Cape Coast (Central Accra) 09 August 2000
A Cape Coast Circuit Court on Tuesday sentenced a self-styled
dealer in palm fruits to three years in prison in hard labour for defrauding
the Cape Coast branch of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) of 9 million
cedis.
The Cape Coast Regional Tribunal had on September 28, 1999,
sentenced Felix Antim Abora, who pleaded guilty to the charge, to three years’
imprisonment in hard labour for a similar offence.
However, following a ruling by the Supreme Court that the police
should not prosecute at the Regional Tribunal, he appealed to the court for a
retrial.
Presenting the facts of the case, Chief Inspector Henry Tanor told
the court, presided over by Mr. Justice Tom Bentsil, that on August 6, 1996,
the accused went to the Manager of the Cape Coast branch of the ADB and told
him that he had four groups of oil palm growers associations who cultivate palm
fruits on a commercial scale.
The accused further told the Manager that he had the photographs
of members of the groups to show as evidence and that they produced palm oil
which they sell to Ameen Shangari Industry, a soap manufacturing firm in
Cape-coast.
The prosecution said Abora also told the Manager that he needed a
loan of 9 million cedis to enable him to purchase some farm inputs such as cutlasses
and Wellington boots for the group.
The Manager became convinced and granted Abora a loan of 9 million
cedis to repay within ten months but he went into hiding until January 1, 1999,
when one Dan Quaye, a staff of the bank, spotted him at Abura in Cape Coast,
arrested and sent him to the bank manager, who handed him over to the police.
Chief Inspector Tano said during investigation, it was found that
Abora's claim that he was associated with four groups was false and that he
only gathered some people, took their photographs and presented them to the
Manager.
Passing sentence, Mr. Justice Bentsil said it was in retrospect of
the one imposed by the Regional Tribunal of which Abora had already served
three months.
He, therefore, ordered him to refund the 9 million cedis to the
bank after serving his sentence.
GRi…/
Cape
Coast (Central Accra) 09 August 2000
Kweku
Owusu, a 20-year-old farmer at Nkutumase near Dunkwa-on-Offin, who allegedly
assisted in the ritual murder of his younger brother, was on Tuesday remanded
in prison custody on a provisional charge of murder by a Cape Coast Circuit
Court.
Also
placed in prison custody on similar charges are two of his alleged accomplices,
Kobina Amoah and Anthony Pra, alias Nana Pra. The fourth accused known as
Adjei, alias burger, is on the run.
Their
pleas were not taken and they would re-appear before the Court presided over by
Mr. Justice Tom Bentil on Tuesday, September six.
Police
Inspector Yao Azasoo said on July 24, this year, one Yaw Berko and Kobina Osei,
from Nkumtunase near Nyanfuri in the Upper Denkyira District reported to the
police that Kwadwo Abass, who had gone fishing in the Offin River, had failed
to return.
It
was later detected that Kwaku Owusu went out with Abass the last time that he
was seen and Owusu was arrested.
Inspector
Azasoo said that during the interrogation Owusu mentioned the three other
accused persons as his accomplices and that they had asked him to lure Abass to
be killed for ritual purposes in return for a brand new Urvan Minibus from Pra.
He
said that upon further investigations, the body of Abass was found floating in
the Offin River near Nyanfuri and it was recovered and sent to the mortuary at
Dunkwa-on-Offin Hospital.
During
inspection some parts of the body including the left eyeball, left ear and the
tip of the genital were found to be missing.
It
was also detected that the head, neck and both hands were fractured.
GRi…/
Accra
(Greater Accra) 09 August 2000
A Circuit
Tribunal in Accra on Tuesday remanded in custody a Nigerian businessman charged
with robbery.
Michael
Obi Abuchi, whose plea was not taken, will appear again on August 24.
The
tribunal chaired by Mrs. Elizabeth Anderson-Yebuah ordered that the docket be
sent to the Attorney-General's Department for advice.
The
prosecution said at bout 0130 hours on July 11, this year, the accused with
nine others now at large, attacked four watchmen on duty at the premises of
Kassap Construction Company at Ayikuma, near Accra, beat them up and tied their
hands.
Thereafter,
they broke into the offices of the company and took away computers, spare parts
and cash of 2.5 million cedis.
At
about 1030 hours the same day, Abuchi was found offering some of the stolen
items for sale. Police were alerted and he was arrested.
The
prosecution said investigations are continuing to arrest the accomplices.
GRi…/
Bolgatanga
(Northern Region) 09 August 2000
Three
persons who assaulted a medical officer at the Bolgatanga Central Hospital were
on Monday arraigned before court charged with two counts of conspiracy to
commit crime and assaulting a public officer.
The
accused, Adam Moammed, Abubakari Karima and Salisu Obey who pleaded not guilty,
were remanded in police custody until August 11 pending further investigations.
Four others charged with the same offence are on the run.
The
accused were said to have assaulted Dr Hope Glover Addy whom they mistook for
another doctor who allegedly delayed in attending to their dead relative.
Prosecuting,
Police Chief Inspector James Owusu told the circuit court presided over by Mr.
S.A Kuoro that on August 3 this year, the accused persons were among a group of
Muslims who went to the Bolgatanga Central Hospital to collect the corpse of a
relative for burial.
The
doctor who was to perform post-mortem on the body however told the leaders of
the group to wait until he had finished attending to some patients.
Chief
Inspector Owusu said the group did not take kindly to the message and attacked
Dr Addy who they thought had sent the message. They manhandled him and took him
to the mortuary for him to do the autopsy.
When
he resisted, they beat him until his colleagues and other hospital staff
rescued him. Mr. Kuoro described their action, as "disgusting and
barbaric" saying the safety of people rendering invaluable services such
as doctors must be protected under the law for the general good.
GRi…/