A Tarkwa circuit court has remanded into prison custody eight suspected criminals for attempting to murder a farmer.

They pleaded not guilty and will re-appear in court on May 21.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Florence Tawiah told the court presided over by Mr Samuel Obeng Diawuo that, the complainant, Nana Kobina Broon V lived at Awudua in the same vicinity with the accused persons namely, Nana Memuna, Yussif Mohammed, Sarah Damoah, Anita Ansah, Kwaku Adjei, Yakubu Gyemzuri, Kwabena Wari and Yaw Wari.

She said during the year 2010, the fourth accused person Anita Ansah alleged that her one and a half year old son, who was under the care of her mother Sarah Damoah, got missing mysteriously and has since not been found.

Inspector Tawiah said on May 4, Anita together with the mother consulted Nana Memuna, who is a fetish priest about the missing child and she claimed her deity has revealed to her that it was the complainant who stole and killed the child for rituals and buried the body in his house at Awudua.

Inspector Tawiah said upon Memuna,s instruction, Anita as if possessed by a spirit with her mother Sarah, led all the other suspects to the complainants house wielding sticks, stones, cutlasses and other implements at about 0930 hours, forcibly opened the complainant’s door and demanded the child from him.

She said they started beating the complainant until one Kojo Duafo emerged at the scene and managed to save the complainant from been lynched, paving the way for the complainant to hide in the ceiling of his room.

The Prosecutor said while hiding there, the suspects returned to the room and Nana Menuma told them her spirit has disclosed to her that the complainant was hiding in the ceiling.

Inspector Tawiah said the suspects with other people, who have been attracted to the scene, started breaking the ceiling with sticks and cutlasses to compel him to come out of hiding.

She said fortunately a police patrol team had information from Tarkwa and rescued him to Tarkwa.**