Murder, Tetrem Chief on the run

Kumasi (Ashanti Region) -- The Kumasi Police are looking for the Chief of Tetrem in the Amansie West District of Ashanti Region in connection with the murder of Opayin Kwame Badu, 67, a prominent farmer of the town.

Five accomplices of the Chief, Nana Twum Tiah II alias Nana Yaw Mensah, first accused, were on Tuesday remanded in prison custody when they appeared before a Kumasi Circuit Tribunal presided over by Mr V. C. Senoo.

The accomplices, Kwame Ntiamoah, Stephen Kwadwo Peprah, Kwasi Annor, Kwaku Mensah and Kwaku Nyamekye would reappear on January 15.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector J. K. Afful told the tribunal that in March last year Opanin Badu left Tetrem to visit his sons at Aboabo about one-and-half kilometres away but never returned.

He said after fruitless and unsuccessful search for the deceased, the sons reported the case to the chief, who refused to offer any assistance for the search.

The sons consequently reported the matter to the Police. On December 13, the prosecution said investigations led to the arrest of

Annor, Mensah and Nyamekye while Nana Tia, Ntiamoah and Peperah absconded. Police Chief Inspector Afful said Ntiamoah was later arrested in a village in the Nzem area in the Western Region and when he was thoroughly interrogated he confessed to having taken part in the murder and mentioned the Nana Tia as the person, who engaged them to kill the deceased so that he could not testify in a case pending before the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11.

After the confession, the Prosecution said, Ntiamoah led the Police to a pond in the town where Opayin Badu was allegedly dumped and the Police retrieved a pair of shorts believed to belong to the deceased.

He said the Police were making efforts to retrieve the body of Opayin Badu.