GRi In Court 15-03-99

Unemployed before tribunal for stealing a car

Queen mother cannot ascend male stool - Supreme Court

Accra (Greater Accra), 15 March  

Francis Ababio, an alleged member of a vehicle stealing syndicate in the Accra metropolis, was on Friday arraigned at an Accra circuit tribunal charged with attempting to steal a BMW car at Kaneshie in Accra.

Ababio pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody to reappear on March 26.

The prosecution told the tribunal that, on the night of March three this year, Mr Osei Bonsu, a salesman of a private company, parked the car behind his window at Kaneshie.

According to the prosecution, while he was in bed, he heard an unusual noise from the direction of the car and as he went to find out, he saw the accused seriously struggling to spark it and in the process the ignition key got broken.

Mr Osei Bonsu raised an alarm and, with the help of co-tenants, the accused was arrested.

When Ababio was searched, a hammer, a kitchen knife and a bunch of keys were found on him.

Accra (Greater Accra), 15 March 

The Supreme Court has ruled that a Queen Mother cannot ascend, at least simultaneously, to a male stool.

This was the decision of a five-member panel of the court, chaired by Mr Justice Edward Wiredu, in dismissing an appeal by Ebusuapayin Kobina Abban on behalf of stool elders and the Ntwea family of Bando in the Eguafo Traditional area of the Central region.

The court upheld the judgement of the Judicial Committee of the National House of Chiefs which affirmed the decision of the Central Region House of Chiefs in favour of Kobina Bin, Ekua Esson alias Ekua Ansah and Nana Kwamina Ansah, Omamhene of Eguafo Traditional area.

Ebusuapayin Kobina Abban had prayed the court to rule that as head of the Ntwea Royal family, he can nominate a candidate for installation as the Krontihene of the Ntwea Bando stool of Eguafo and that Ekua Esson was nominated by the proper person to ascend the Bando stool.

The Supreme Court said the Judicial Committees of the National and the Central Regional Houses of Chiefs made positive findings in favour of the respondents that ''a Queen Mother cannot ascend, at least simultaneously, to the male stool''.

It said the ruling is supported by evidence and that the ruling of the Judicial Committees should not be disturbed without proof that they are wrong.

The court noted that even though Kobina Bin held no customary office, he is a royal and their action is supported by law.

Other members of the panel were Mrs Justice Joyce Bamford-Addo, Mr Justice Frank Y. Kpegah, Mr Justice E.D.K. Adjabeng and Ms Sophia Akuffo.