Crime & Punishment of Friday, 23 September 2005

Source: GNA

Apremdo assemblyman and 15 others granted bail

Takoradi, Sept. 23, GNA - Francis Bossman, Assemblyman for Apremdo and 15 others were on Friday granted 160 million cedis bail with six sureties to be justified by a Takoradi Circuit Court for rioting.

They were charged for rioting, preventing a policeman from performing his duties, vandalising two vehicles and allegedly exhuming a corpse.

All of them pleaded not guilty and would re-appear on October 3. The accused persons were, Abusuapanyin Kofi Essuon, driver, Abusapanyin Dominic Yalley, farmer, Maame Sakyiaba, trader, John Nat Payin, businessman and Steven Ansah, mason.

Others were, Elvis Osei, driver, Mohammed Nketsiah, lotto agent, Steven Tandoh, farmer, Muntari Zakari, labourer, Ibrahim Osumanu, vulcaniser and Mustapha Mohammed, driver.

The rest were, Mensban Musah, plumber, Mazuh Mumuni, unemployed, Steven Nana Arthur alias Nana Banying, barman and Eliasu Mohammed, tailor.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, A. F. Sabaliko, Prosecuting pleaded with the court for adjournment to enable the police continue with the investigations.

It would be re-called that the Kwesiminstim Police on September 13 this year, arrested the accused persons for their alleged involvement in the unlawful exhumation of a corpse at the Apremdo public cemetery and rioting.

Police sources said on the evening of September 13, relatives of Nana Nware Eziah, II, Gyaasehene of Apremdo buried 10-year-old Lawrence Tandoh at the Apremdo cemetery but the youth in the town attacked them. They vandalised two vehicles and exhumed the corpse when the Police went to the cemetery to convey the corpse to the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital they were also attacked by the youth who suspected that the boy was murdered for ritual purposes.