Church Members Fight Over Land

TWO LEADERS of the Anglican Church have been dragged to court for allegedly destroying the foundation of a semi-detached building belonging to one Felicia Afful.

The suspects, DAILY GUIDE was told had been fighting with the woman, a hairdresser over ownership of the land for years. The paper gathered that the two suspects from the Anglican Church at Bibiani in the Western region, Yaw Sarfo aka Kennedy and Akwasi Apomasu aka Mintah, allegedly led members of the church to destroy the foundation.

The members the paper was told earlier destroyed the first foundation the victim had built at a different neighborhood claiming the land belonged to the Anglican Church and had been illegally acquired by the woman.

Information available indicated that when the second destruction took place the woman clashed with the members and the case was reported to the Bibiani District Police Station.

Commander at the station, Superintendent Francis Annoh after listening to the facts of the case asked the suspects to compensate the victim or the police would take the case to court.

Supt. Annoh supposedly advised the parties involved to try to settle the case out of court to ensure peace in the community.

But the suspects allegedly refused to compensate the victim and the case was then taken to court.

The two suspects now standing trial at the Bibiani Circuit Court pleaded not guilty to the charge of causing damage to property and the trial judge, Mr. Ankumah adjourned the case to a later date.

One of the church members who spoke to the paper on condition of anonymity said the Bibiani Anglican Church bequeathed a portion of its land to the grandfather of the victim who was then a member in need of a place of abode.

According to the church member, since the gentleman’s death, his children and grand children had been building on the land without authorization from the church.

“So the church’s position now is that anybody who tries to lay any foundation without the church’s approval would not be permitted,” the church member said.