Kumasi, Dec. 21, GNA - The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has expressed concern about the use of his name by some unscrupulous chiefs to cheat and extort money from people.
He said he had been receiving reports that some chiefs, appointed to arbitrate in disputes that come to his palace, collect money from some of the parties under the guise of influencing judgment in their favour.
Addressing an end of year meeting of the Asanteman Council in Kumasi on Monday, Otumfuo Osei Tutu warned chiefs involved in such shameful and criminal acts to immediately desist or get exposed.
"Some are using my name to sell parcels of land while others are using it to extort money and collecting bribes from litigants to supposedly entice me to take certain decisions."
"This cannot be true and will never be true, I have not done that and will not do it", he told the gathering of Paramount chiefs and Abrempong of the Asante kingdom.
The Asantehene also appealed to the public, especially litigants, not to yield to pressures from such chiefs since he could not be influenced.
He attributed the numerous and unending litigations, especially those involving chieftaincy and stool lands, to corruption on the part of some chiefs appointed to settle them and said this had contributed to the high incidence of losing parties turning to the law courts for redress.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu said traditionally, all issues involving chieftaincy and land in Asanteman should come before his court first for mediation and settlement but because of the negative perception some people sidestepped this and resorted to the law courts.
He cited the case of Kumawu where some sub chiefs had filed a writ at a high court against the queen for selling lands in the Afram Plains area and said such a matter should have come to him since he is the owner of the land.
The Asantehene appealed to all arbitration committees to expedite action on cases they are handling to bring justice to all feuding parties.
He also advised the chiefs to adhere to the traditions and customs of the Asante kingdom since that is the only way they could settle disputes amicably and promote peace in their areas.
GNA
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