Nine suspects who were arrested for allegedly stripping a married woman naked for insulting their chief at Lipke-Abrani have been granted bail by a Ho circuit court after being charged for indecent assault.

The nine, who pleaded not guilty, were given a GH¢8,000 bail each with a surety, a condition most of them have not been able to meet.

They are currently in police cells.

The presiding judge, Richard Kogyatwah, directed the police to re-arrest the Mankrado of Lipke-Abrani, Togbe Pius Clemefi, who is reported to have directed the people of the area to strip Anastasia Adom naked and banish her for allegedly claiming that the chief of the area, Nana Borkeh Akototsey V, had licked her vagina.

Although 18 suspects have so far been identified, 10 persons including the Mankrado, the two Tsiames, Kumah and David Mensah, and a female, were arrested while the others are at large.

The Mankrado, on his arrest, was said to be indisposed and so he was granted a police enquiry bail.

However, Judge Kogyatwah said that the Mankrado should be re-arrested and brought before the court at the next hearing.

The Regional Police Commander, Alex Bedie, who briefed journalists last Tuesday, condemned the actions of the suspects and noted that all others involved would be arrested and made to face the law, depending on the outcome of their investigations.

He also cautioned chiefs to ensure that in exercising their customs and laws, they tallied with the constitution of Ghana.

The victim, a 34-year-old married woman, Adom Anastasia, was stripped naked and assaulted by her kinsmen for allegedly insulting their chief.

According to them, the victim who is a trader and a native of Likpe Abrani, had insulted Nana Borkeh Akototsey V, accusing him of licking her vagina.

As a result, on September 24, 2012, Anastasia was invited by Tsiame Kumah and Tsiame David Mensah to appear before the Mankrado, Togbe Pius Clemefi the next day, September 25, over the allegation.

At 8am on that day, the two Tsiames escorted her to the house of the Mankrado where over 200 community members were gathered.

She was asked to kneel before the council which she did.

The Mankrado said one Nicholas Borkeh and Mary Afenyo at Mawuse had reported that she had insulted Nana Borkeh V by saying that the chief had licked her vagina.

She denied the allegation, after listening to the witnesses. The Mankrado, in consultation with the elders, found her guilty and ordered that she be banished from the town.

The Mankrado also ordered that Anastasia be stripped naked and banished.

The crowd complied and apart from stripping her naked, they beat her up while others took advantage of the situation to sexually assault her.

They ordered her to march through the town naked while others took photographs of her and mocked her as well.

She was subsequently ordered to leave the town at 6 pm that day in her nakedness.

The crowd proceeded to her grocery shop to vandalise and loot it.

Anastasia Adom told DAILY GUIDE that not even her tears and pleas to the crowd stopped them from subjecting her to that treatment.

She noted that she was shocked that women were part of the torture squad.

She had to use a bush route to reach her husband who was in another village by then.

She and her husband later reported the case to the police who made some arrests while others escaped.