By Joyce Danso
Accra, Aug. 10, GNA – An Accra Circuit Court has granted bail to 23 young men accused of assaulting Kweiman elders and attacking a palace over the sale of land to a developer.
The defendants were granted bail in the sum of GHc10,000 each with surety by the court presided over by Mrs Afia Owusua Appiah.
The court urged the parties to “attempt settlement” because they all were related and lived in the same community.
Mr Francis Xavier Sosu, counsel for the accused, requested bail for them.
The accused people include Gideon Amartey, alias Kitinki, Richard Amartey Mensah, Ezekiel Adjetey Adjei, Nii Anang Mameley, Mensah Ago, Michael Adjei, Amarh Amartey Kwei, Ebenezer Laryea, Joseph Nii Mensah Anang.
The rest are Emmanuel Ago Doku, Reuben Tetteh, Samuel Armah Amartey, Isaac Mensah Lumor, Isaac Armah, Felix Adjei, Ernest Addo, Wisdom Tawiah, Amos Adjei, Isaac Afotey, Mershark Amartey and Joseph Amartey Laryea Perry.
All the defendants have pled not guilty to conspiracy to commit a crime, specifically assault and causing damage.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Evans Kesse told the Court that the complainant, Nii Amartey Kwei III, was the chief of Kweiman in Accra.
The court heard that the chief granted land in Kweiman to a developer, which the youth objected to.
DSP Kesse stated that when the grantee and the chief proceeded to work on the land, the accused individuals, who were allegedly armed with offensive weapons, attacked the site, and prevented the developer from working.
According to the prosecution, the young men also went to the palace and assaulted four elders with cutlasses, wood, and metallic objects.
DSP Kesse said the accused persons destroyed 12 plastic chairs and a table all valued at GH800.
The prosecution said the defendants were arrested after a report was made to the police, and police medical forms were issued to the four complainants – Ibrahim Anum, Benjamin Amartey, Joshua Odai, and Francis Mensah – to seek medical attention.
DSP Kesse said that the medical report forms submitted to the police confirmed that the complainants had been assaulted.
GNA