A 73-year-old Professor of Brain Science and Languages, who doubles as the Mankrado of Kade, Nana Banchie Darko Ampem II, has been arraigned at Asamankese Circuit Court for aiding and abetting a gang of five to steal and cause unlawful harm to others at the Kade palace.
The Mankrado and his gang have been granted bail in the sum of GHc3, 000 each with two sureties and are to report to the Asamankese police twice a week (Mondays and Thursdays).
The other accused persons are Isaac Boakye, a labourer, 29, Frank Osei, a driver, 34, Evans Ewuah, a porter, 30, and Edward Kwasi Ohemeng, also a porter, 26, and Richard Obeng, a businessman, 50, and will face four respective counts of abetment of crime, conspiracy, stealing, having possession of stolen property and causing unlawful damages.
The court presided over by His Honour Mr Tetteh Armah Ayitey, while refusing an application from the prosecution led by ASP Peter Azigie to remand them, issued a stern warning to the professor to call his followers who have been attacking people with knife to order.
It was the case of the prosecution that the accused persons who have been granted police enquiry bail be remanded by the court because they were interfering with investigations.
According to the prosecution, Nana Darko Ampem has been interfering with the witnesses that were to help the police in its investigation and thought it wise to have them caged by the court.
But the court said if the police were minded, they could have brought them to the court immediately after they were arrested for the court to remand them.
He also said the prosecution failed to convince the court enough to have the accused persons remanded, especially when it took them two weeks before bringing them to court.
Stern warning
His Honour Mr Ayitey issued a stern warning to the Mankrado and his gang to desist from interfering with investigation since such act is an offence before the law.
“You are supposed to report to the police on Mondays and Thursdays and if you fail any of your bail conditions, I will deal with you. Talk to your followers, if anything untoward happens, I will deal with you people in accordance with the law.
“You are a professor. I am giving you warning that if anything untoward happens because of you people. Despite your age, despite your profession, despite your status in society, if you are brought before me or any other, you will be dealt with.”
“If you interfere in any of the witnesses that they are going to call it is an offence to interfere with witnesses,” the judge warned.
Case has been adjourned to March 31.
Background
According to the police, the complainant and the accused persons are all residents of Kade but for some time now, there has been chieftaincy issues at Kade of which the parties in the case are factions.
The police said because of that the old palace at Kade had been locked up and all the regalia transferred to the new palace for traditional function.
On March 5, this year, a funeral was held at the Kade funeral ground and the complainant and some elders from the chief palace attended the funeral with the linguist staff as custom demands.
While at the funeral ground, the Professor instigated and encouraged Boakye, Osei, Ewuah, Ohemeng and Obeng to go to the funeral ground and steal the linguist staff.
They, however, invaded the venue and forcibly seized the linguist staff from one Frank Yaw Adjei and brought it to him (Professor).
On that same day, Boakye, the second accused person, conspired with the others to go to the new chief’s palace to steal and they made away with a set of ‘Kete’ drums on March8, 2017.
The police said the chief again abetted a crime by instigating and sending his gang to go to the old palace and force the door open.
The four again complied with these unlawful orders and raided the old palace. They caused an extensive damage to the door and left it ajar before they took leave of the palace.
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