Five including traditional ruler remanded over land guard activities

Five persons, including a traditional ruler, have been remanded into police custody on charges of conspiracy, prohibition of landguard activities, resisting arrest, and assault on a police officer.

Isaac Ablor Sowah, the 51-year-old traditional ruler, Emmanuel Adjei, a 25-year-old footballer, Godwin Molardza, 31-year-old driver, Benjamin Ahorsu, a 21-year-old painter and Joseph Ablor Adjei, a 27-year-old labourer, pleaded not guilty. 

The court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah remanded them to reappear on October 12, 2023.

The prosecution, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Maxwell Oppong, opposed the grant of bail saying the case was under investigation.

According to DSP Oppong, the accused persons were picked up on October 5, 2023, and because the Police did not want to breach the 48 hours’ rule, it brought them before the court.

The prosecution said the accused persons did not have fixed places of abode, they were flight risk, and would interfere with Police investigations when granted bail.

Defense Counsel, Devine Dotse, refuted the facts before the court saying his client, Isaac Ablor Sowah was a chief of Abla-Adjei and known in the community.

Mr Dotse said the rest of the four accused persons worked with the traditional ruler.

According to the Defense Counsel there was no way someone would be a traditional ruler and would not have a fixed place of abode.

He said the accused persons had people who would stand as sureties for them when granted bail.

The case of the prosecution was that the complainant Ernest Adjato resided at Ashongman Estates while the five accused persons resided at Abladjei, near Abokobi in the Greater Accra Region.

On October 5, 2023, the prosecution said the complainant called the Police Regional headquarters, Accra and petitioned the Regional Command that he had 22.98 acres of land at Pantang, which he purchased.

The prosecution said the complainant indicated that he bought the land from his grantor, Jacob Kofi Dwamena, who had land title certificate covering it.

It said on October 4, 2023, the complainant visited the land and met one Joshua together with some land guards wielding cutlasses and other offensive weapons and causing damage to the fence wall.

The prosecutor said the following day, a team of Police personnel from the Regional SWAT Unit were sent to the site together with the complainant.

It said on reaching there, the Police met some young men developing the land.

The prosecution said not quite long ago, the accused persons emerged at the scene and attacked the Police.

It said the Police attempted to arrest the accused persons, but they resisted arrest and “beat up the Police officers and attempted collecting their weapons”.

The prosecution said the Police overpowered the accused persons, and escorted them to the Police station.