Kuntanase (Ash), July 29, GNA - The Kuntanase Magistrate Court last Thursday granted a 47 year-old landlord five million cedis bail when he appeared before it for forceful ejection of tenant, assault and causing damage.

Kofi Attah Antwi Afari pleaded not guilty and will re-appear on August 5, 2004.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Thomas Bossman Tuffour told the court that Augustina Anane, the complainant, lived in the house of Afari at Aputuogya in the Bosomtwe-Atwima-Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti region. He said early this year, the landlord decided to eject the complainant from her room and so she reported the matter to the town's unit committee who gave her three months to look for new accommodation, which the landlord agreed. Inspector Tuffour said the unit committee then asked the landlord to refund 1.8 million cedis being the balance for the rent advance she paid. He said on May 19, this year, the landlord after refunding the balance to the complainant locked the main door to the corridor from where the complainant enters her room, thereby preventing her from gaining access to her room.

Inspector Tuffour said the complainant again made a report to the unit committee who went to the house but the accused refused to open the door thereby compelling the complainant and her son to sleep outside. He said the next day the complainant went back to the unit committee and she was given a letter to the Jachie Police who invited Afari and he promised to report himself the following day.

Immediately the Police left, the landlord told witnesses in the case that blood would flow and went ahead to damage the door to the complainant's room and pulled out a metal strip with which he whipped the complainant.

However, he got injured in the process and was rushed to lodge a complaint at the Jachie Police station.

Inspector Tuffour said the complainant also later went to the Jachie Police to lodge a complaint and so the two were arrested and after investigations, she was released and the accused charged with the offences.