Sunyani, June 9, GNA - Two farmers were on Tuesday remanded into prison custody by a Circuit Court at Fiapre, near Sunyani for attempting to kill a 19-year-old taxi driver.

The plea of Kwasi Gyasi, 45 and Kwasi Asiedu Manteng, 43, was not taken on three counts of attempted murder, stealing and abetment of crime. They are to reappear on June 22.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Alex Yartey Tawiah, prosecuting, told the Court that Gyasi on June 1, this year, hired an Opel Astra taxi with registration number NR 90 V, driven by Nana Yaw, from Winneba to Sunyani under the pretext of going to collect money. On reaching Duayaw-Nkwanta at about 2100 hours the same day, Gyasi directed the driver to send him to a hotel to spend the night but the driver refused and they both slept in the car at the lorry station. DSP Tawiah said the following morning, Gyasi asked Nana Yaw to wait in the car whilst he went to find food for them to eat.

He came back with two polythene bags containing cooked rice and beans and gave one to the driver and later while they were on their way towards Sunyani, the accused asked the driver to stop and eat his food. The prosecutor said Yaw obliged but started vomiting as soon as he finished eating and became weak. He however managed to drive to Sunyani. DSP Tawiah added that Nana Yaw became unconscious and the accused removed 200,000 cedis from his pocket, took away his sandals valued at 42,000 cedis and a wrist watch valued at 35,000 before rushing him to the Sunyani Regional hospital where he was admitted but discharged the next day.

Gyasi abandoned the driver at the hospital and drove the vehicle to Kumasi where he was assisted by Asiedu to remove the number plate and the car stereo system, which they hid in an abandoned fridge in their house.

He said upon a tip off, the police Buffalo unit in Kumasi arrested Gyasi and Asiedu and later retrieved the vehicle and the sandals but the stereo system could not be traced.