Cape Coast, Oct. 16, GNA - A Cape Coast Community Court has remanded the Chief of Twifo-Kyebi, near Dunkwa-on-Offin, Nana Amoateng Supi II and 12 of his subjects in Police custody for allegedly murdering a man engaged in a protracted land dispute with him. Their plea was not taken and they would re-appear on Friday, November 7.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Hope Azasoo, told the Court, presided over by Mr Peter Asare-Duah, that the deceased, one Asare Agyarkwa, instituted a court action to eject some settler farmers the Chief had given parts of the Agyarkwa Family Lands to farm on, after he won a case on the land at a Cape Coast Circuit Court sometime in June this year. He said the ejection case was to be heard at a Circuit Court at Dunkwa-on-Offin on Wednesday, October 15.

The Prosecutor alleged that the Chief, who saw Asare Agyarkwa as a threat, convened a meeting on October 8 with some of his elders and planned to eliminate Agyarkwa and all the kingpins of the Agyarkwa Family before the case was heard.

He further alleged that the accused persons on October 9, at about 0200 hours, armed themselves with all kinds of offensive weapons and went to the house of the Asare Agyarkwa, broke into his room and shot him in the hand.

The Prosecutor said they tied him up, dragged him from his room through the bush to the Chief's palace, a distance of about three kilometres amidst the firing of warning shots and later to the town's cemetery.

He said Asare Agyarkwa was shot in the chest and head, after some severe beatings. He was buried at the cemetery, where one of his family members, Kofi Kwanin had also been tied up.

Inspector Azasoo alleged that, the Chief also beat a gong-gong asking women of the town to send firewood to the palace, with the aim of burning every kingpin of the Agyarkwa Family, who would be arrested. He said the accused persons deserted the town after the gruesome act and were picked up from their hideouts by the Police upon a tip off. The Prosecutor said the Police went to the rescue of Kwanin and later exhumed the body of Asare Agyarkwa, which has since been released to the family for burial.

The alleged accomplices of the Chief are: Samuel Kobina Kwofie, Trader; Emmanuel Twen, unemployed; Philip Cudjoe, Driver; Richard Oduro, Farmer; Ahmed Sulemana, Mason and Yaw Koto, Distiller. The others are: Benjamin Arthur, Mason; Joseph Kondua, Carpenter; Kofi Amoah, Oppong Agyarkwa, John Appiah and Kweku Badu, all farmers. 16 Oct. 03