Three in Court for offensive conduct

The Kade District Magistrates’ Court on Friday granted GHC 1,000.00 bail with one surety each to three persons charged with causing unlawful damage and offensive conduct, conducive to the breach of the peace.

Yaw Baah, Kwame Panin and Yaw Nyame all pleaded not guilty to the charges and would re-appear on November 09.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Francis Cobbina, said the complainant in the case is the Bretuohene of Kade whilst the three accused persons are all resident at Kade.

He said there had been a protracted chieftaincy dispute at Kade of which the parties involved were made to sign a bond by the District Magistrates’ “B” Court in Koforidua to keep the peace until the substantial case was over.

The prosecutor said one Kwabena Obeng, a palace guard and a witness in the case, who was at the Kade Chief’s Palace saw Baah forcibly removing the main door to the palace and he informed the complainant on his mobile phone about Baah’s presence.

The complainant rushed to the scene and met Baah in the act with Kwame Panin standing by.

When the complainant asked Baah to justify his action, Panin then started insulting him, describing the complainant as “stupid and useless man.”

A report was made to the police and the doors were later fixed back on the instructions of the police.

Later the same day at about 1600 hours, Nyame went to the palace and locked it with his own padlock and vowed to resist anyone who would attempt to re-open it.

On October 8th, the police went to the respective homes of the accused persons to invite them for questioning but did not meet them and a message was left with their parents, but they did not show up.

The following day the police again went to their houses but they ran away when they realized the police were looking for them.

Criminal summons were later prepared and served on them to appear before the Court on October 11 for trial but they refused to appear in court that day and bench warrants were prepared for their arrest.

The Counsel for the accused, Mr. Husain Ibn Alhassan, prayed the court to rescind the warrant order when they appeared in court on October 18.

Mr. Alhassan argued that the accused were not part of the factions that signed the bond in Koforidua and pleaded for bail for them since it would help to promote peace and go a long way to cement the fragile relations between the factions.