Eight suspected criminals who attempted to murder a farmer at Awudua in the Western region have been granted a total bail sum of GH¢240,000 by a Tarkwa circuit court.

They will re-appear in court on June 13.

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, Nana Memuna, Yussif Mohammed, Sarah Damoah, Anita Ansah, Kwaku Adjei, Yakubu Gyemzuri, Kwabena Wari and Yaw Wari.

The Prosecutor said in 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, had gotten missing mysteriously and has since not been found.

Inspector Tawiah said on May 4, Anita together with the mother consulted Nana Memuna, 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 had buried the body in his house at Awudua.

She 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 and forcibly opened the complainant’s door and demanded the child from him.

The Prosecutor 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.

Inspector Tawiah 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.

She said the suspects and 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.

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