GRi in Court Ghana 21 - 12 - 2000
Farmer charged with attempted murder
Musician in
4,000-dollar fraud
Farmer charged with attempted murder
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 December 2000
A 140-year-old farmer, Nai Kojo Nyame of Ewutu Beraku in the Central Region, who is accused of attempting to murder an ex-police Inspector appeared before a circuit tribunal in Accra on Wednesday.
Nyame pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and was granted 100 million cedis bail with one surety to be justified. The case is rescheduled for January 22, 2001.
Mrs. Elizabeth Anderson Yebuah, who chaired the tribunal, explained that she considered Nyame's age in granting him the bail.
She ordered that the docket should be referred to the Attorney General's Department for advice.
The Tribunal heard that Nyame, also a herbalist, lives in the same town, Ewutu Beraku, with the complainant, Mr Simon Owoo Onomah.
There was a land dispute between Nyame and Opanin Opete Konten, a sub-chief of the town, who is a relative of the complainant.
The prosecution said Mr Onomah gave support in the dispute pending before a court to Opanin Konten at Winneba. As a result, Nyame regarded Mr Onomah as an enemy and planned to get rid of him.
The accused recruited some people, including a witness in the case, to murder the complainant for a fee of 2 million cedis. He, therefore, advanced 500,000 cedis to the abettors and promised to pay the rest later.
According to him, when the witness and his group feigned interest in the plot, Nyame then identified Mr Onomah as the one to be murdered. They however refused to murder Mr Onomah and rather informed him.
The complainant then reported the matter to the Police in Accra and two detectives were detailed to proceed to Ewutu Beraku to investigate.
The detectives, according to the prosecutor, disguised themselves and approached Nyame as having murdered Mr Onomah.
He said Nyame then became happy and gave the two detectives 200,000 cedis cash and 18,000 cedis for drinks and transportation.
Nyame, who did not know that they were detectives, asked them to collect the rest of the money within two days because his secretary was not available to sign a cheque for them, the prosecution said.
Nyame again entreated them to eliminate one Kofi Abram and Kwaku Sankofie, both from the same town, for an attractive fee. Nyame was then arrested. The Police are making further investigations into the case.
GRi…/
Musician in
4,000-dollar fraud
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 December
2000
A musician accused of collecting
3,200 dollars and 250,00 cedis from a drummer, to secure an American visa and
other travelling documents for him, on Wednesday appeared before a circuit
tribunal in Accra.
Ignatius De-Paul Junior pleaded
not guilty to defrauding by false pretences and was granted 20 million cedis
bail with one surety to be justified. The case is rescheduled for January 4,
2001.
Mr. Mohammed Nabon, the tribunal
chairman, ordered that the justification should be in the form of landed
property.
The Prosecution’s case that was
that on March 9 this year the accused informed the complainant, Mr. Patrick
Dodzi Amedzekor who doubles as trader,
that he has a dance band, "Wadada and the Black Heroes," which was
preparing to travel to America to perform.
De-Paul told Mr. Amedzekor that
one Mr. Michael Schimmen of the United States Embassy in Accra was assisting
him to secure a group visa and other relevant travelling documents for his
band.
De-Paul offered to include Mr
Amedzekor in the group provided he could pay 4,000 dollars for the necessary
documents.
The drummer made a part payment of
2000 dollars and on March 31, De-Paul told him that his friend at the embassy
had completed processing the visa and therefore, needed the balance.
Mr Amedzekor paid 1,200 dollars
and 250,000 cedis but De-Paul failed to produce the visa. Under pressure to
refund the money, the accused arranged for Mr. Amedzekor to attend an interview
but he was refused the visa.
He said Mr. Amedzekor made a
report to the Bureau of National Investigation where De-Paul promised to refund
the money.
The accused went into hiding until
Mr. Amedzekor heard that the Osu police had arrested him for a similar offence.
GRi…/