Two cousins accused of attempted murder

Two cousins, Daniel Adu, 36, and Kwadwo Oppong 35, both residents of Kumasi, accused of attempting to murder another cousin, Mr Joseph Osei Nimo, also known as Akwasi Nimo, 35, a Kumasi businessman, through poisoning in connection with a dispute over a family land appeared before a Kumasi Circuit Tribunal for the third time on Friday.

Their plea was not taken and they were remanded in custody until Wednesday. The adjournment was to enable the police to collect the report of the forensic laboratory analysis of the exhibit of a malt drink, which was allegedly laced with poison and given to Mr Nimo to drink.

According to the prosecution, Mr Nimo had for the past 19 years cultivated oil palm covering about four acres on a portion of a family land at his hometown, Praso, near Lake Bosomtwe. None of the family members raised a finger against the project until a few years ago, when the palm tress started bearing fruits.

Mr Nimo who is resident at Atonsu-Agogo, a suburb of Kumasi, was at home at about 6.30 am on 24th March 2002, when his cousin, Adu, residing at Amakom in Kumasi called saying that he had been asked by their elder cousin, Amo Ayim to invite him (Nimo) to a family meeting at Ayim’s Abropo-Asubonteng residence in Kumasi.

At Ayim’s residence, he (Ayim) asked him why he (Nimo) cultivated a portion of the family land and later served him with a bottle of malt drink, which tasted unusually bitter. After drinking a quantity of the malt, Mr Nimo started complaining of dizziness, stomach pains and general weakness and suspecting that the drink had been laced with poison, asked Ayim, Adu and Oppong why they wanted to kill him.

Ayim left the hall and was followed by Oppong and Adu but he (Nimo) managed to get outside where two men, Mr Daniel Botchway Pobee and Mr Akwasi Agyeman, who were returning home after worshiping at the Abropo-Asubonteng Presbyterian Church, rushed him to the nearby County Hospital.

Adu and Oppong who allegedly stormed the hospital demanding that Mr Nimo be released to them were immediately arrested by the Suame police who had been alerted. Ayim who is resident abroad but came home on holidays went into hiding soon after the incident and has managed to return to his base.