Five persons granted GH¢30,000.00 bail for allegedly acting as landguards

Five individuals, accused of acting as land guards to oversee workmen developing a parcel of land at Dodowa, have been granted GH¢30,000.00 bail each by an Accra Circuit Court.

The accused are Kingsley Dunoo, also known as "Raggae," a security man; Mohammed Nartey, a vulcanizer; Clement Tetteh, a borehole operator; Dodzi Atsidutse, a mason; and Evans Acheampong, a construction laborer. All accused, charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and the prohibition of activities of land guards, pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Raymond Ackom, initially opposed bail, arguing that releasing the accused would hinder further investigation and that they might not appear for trial if granted bail. However, the court, presided over by Mrs. Basilia Adjei-Tawiah, overruled the objection and admitted the accused to bail with two sureties each, to be justified.

The case has been adjourned to June 25, 2024.

The prosecution told the court that the complainant, Fred Kwaku Anning, a resident of Weija, Accra, and a businesswoman, was the lawful representative for Ages Investment Company Limited.

On March 11, 2024, she petitioned the Director-General/CID regarding the activities of land guards and death threats over a 662.15-acre parcel of land at Dodowa, contested by some members of the Odoi Kese family of Obosomase.

"The accused claim that their company is in a legal dispute with the Odoi Kese family over the land ownership at the High Court, Koforidua," said the prosecution.

On October 7, 2023, the court issued an interim injunction restraining the Odoi Kese family and their agents from interacting with the land pending the case's final determination. Despite the court's orders, the family allegedly continued to employ land guards, harassing grantees with gunshots and threatening local residents.

On May 8, 2024, the complainant and police went to the land at Dodowa and arrested the accused, who were found under a tree, overseeing workmen developing the land for one Prophet Kwasi Awoso, unknown to the police. A search at the site led to the discovery of a pump-action gun loaded with seven BB live cartridges hidden in the bush.

The accused denied knowledge of the weapon and stated in their caution statement that Isaac Ametepe of Wise Ink Investment Limited had hired them to guard the workmen. Preliminary investigations suggested that the accused were part of a group of land guards formed to intimidate prospective land buyers in the area.