Techiman (B/A), Jan. 18, GNA - A circuit court at Dormaa Ahenkro has placed a Burkinabe farm-hand, Alphonse Sambo, in prison custody for causing harm to his landlord, Malam Haruna Salaam at Diabaa in the Dormaa District.

The court, presided over by Mr. Justice Vincent Carl Kenu, ordered Sambo, whose plea was not taken to reappear before the court on February 28 this year.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Joseph Awudenga told the court that Malam Salaam recruited Sambo to work on his farm at Diabaa immediately after the New Year festivities. He said on January 10, a misunderstanding ensued between Malam and the accused on the farm over the latter's wages. Chief Inspector Awudenga said Sambo lost his temper in the course of the argument and inflicted cutlass wounds on his landlord, rendering him unconscious. "Taking his landlord to be dead, Sambo piled some firewood on the body, placed the victim's bicycle on top of the heap and left for the house", the prosecutor added. He said when Sambo got home he broke into the landlord's bedroom, stole four half pieces of wax print and 100, 000 cedis cash and attempted to abscond.

Chief Inspector Awudenga, said people in the vicinity became suspicious of Sambo's anxiety and raised alarm. He said Sambo was arrested and when interrogated about Malam's whereabouts, he denied knowledge. A search party was dispatched to the farm where the unconscious Malam was discovered under the pile of firewood. He said the Police at Nkrankwanta charged Sambo with the offence after he admitted his guilt in a caution statement. At the time of filing this report, the victim was still in a coma at the Presbyterian Hospital at Dormaa Ahenkro.