Aflao (Volta Region) 24 April 2002 - Kofi Afortude, 35 and Kwaku Dedzo, 38, both farmers who assaulted some members of the Roman Catholic Church at Tsiame, in the Keta District, for allegedly breaking a ban on drumming and noisemaking have been granted two million cedis bail each with one surety by the Aflao Circuit Court.

Tsiame Traditional Authorities as a yearly cleansing rite imposed the ban in the area. Afortude and Dedzo pleaded not guilty to the charge of causing harm and are to reappear on 7 May. The court had refused the accused persons bail last week and remanded them in Police custody for further investigations until 23 April 2002.

It also refused to grant the request of the elders of Tsiame to settle the case out of court. "There is an assault case and I would not accept any home settlement", Mr Francis Opoku, the Presiding Judge, told the elders.

"I would deal with whoever would be guilty severely to serve as a deterrent to the others out there. I would use them as a scapegoat", he said.