Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 5 March 2013

Source: GNA

Two arrested in Diabenekrom chieftaincy clashes

Two people have been arrested by the Sekondi Police in connection with chieftaincy clashes that occurred at Diabenekrom, near Takoradi in the Western Region.

The police arrested Richard Kwofie (alias Kwasi Mason) and Richard Quaye (alias Dawu Ansah) and they are assisting the police in their investigations.

Mr James Kofi Abraham, the Western Regional Police Crime Officer confirmed the arrest to the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Tuesday.

He said Mr Kwamina Kyeiku who claimed to be the Abusuapanyin of Nkroful came to the Regional Police Headquarters in Sekondi last week to ask permission to install a chief at Diabenekrom.

Mr Abraham said after some investigations, it reached the conclusion that Mr Kyeiku did not have the authority to install a chief at Diabenekrom and with this they secured an injunction from the court to prevent the installation.

He said Mr Kyeiku however went ahead and put one Richard Kwofie into a secret room last Thursday February 28, in preparation towards his installation.

Mr Abraham said on Tuesday, Kyeiku and some people brought Mr Kwofie to Diabenekrom to perform the necessary rituals for his installation and the move annoyed one faction to the stool raising tensions amongst the town folks resulting in violent clashes.

He said some people got injured in the clashes but no casualty was recorded as the Rapid Deployment Force of the Police Service was deployed to the town to maintain law and order.

He said Mr Kyeiku after the fiasco installation bolted from the scene and is on the police wanted list.

The Queenmother of Diabenekrom, Nana Aba Essoun II, told the GNA that Kyeiku who attempted to install a chief is not a member of the Royal Akona Abradze family therefore does not have any legitimacy to install a chief in the town.

Nana Essoun who is also the Adontenhema of Sekondi Traditional Area said she would resist any attempt to impose a chief on the town.