Regional News of Wednesday, 17 September 2003

Source: GNA

Three appear before court for murder and causing harm

Ejisu (Ash), Sept 17, GNA- Two of the three men who were arraigned before the Ejisu district court for causing harm, raising false alarm and murder have each been granted 10 million cedis bail with a surety to be justified.

Osei Kufuor, 25 and Peter Siaw, 26, both apprentice welders, who were charged with causing harm and raising false alarm pleaded guilty and will re-appear on September 25.

The third accused, Kwame Owusu, charged with murder, was remanded to re-appear on September 25.

Police Inspector Nkansa Twumasi Ankrah told the court that the complainant Mr Yaw Opoku is a businessman who lived at Ekyem near Ejisu. The prosecutor said on June 7, Osei Kufuor and the other two left their village, Achiase, to visit a friend at Akokobon.

On reaching Ekyem, they picked a quarrel with Afua Pokuah, sister of Opoku, and Opoku who was then in the house heard the noise and came out from his room with a friend to separate them.

He said a fight ensued between Osei Kufuor and Opoku and in the process Kufuor stabbed Opoku in the chest and back.

Inspector Ankrah said Siaw, rushed to his friends and told them that Kufuor has been lynched and they organised and attacked the family of Opoku.

He said Owusu took a piece of wood and hit the 65-year-old mother of Opoku, Madam Akua Agyeiwaa, who fell unconscious and was taken to the Tikrom clinic where she was pronounced dead on arrival.