Court grants farmer bail

Mankranso (Ash), April 8, GNA - The Mankranso magistrate's court on Tuesday granted a 32-year-old farmer standing trial for threat of death, five million cedis bail.

Kwasi Kwarteng pleaded guilty and will re-appear on April 20. The court ordered the police to confiscate the gun with which the accused threatened to commit the crime.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector I.K. Dampson told the court that the accused, who is also a palm-wine tapper, uprooted the palm trees of Osei Kwadwo and Daniel Dagbla, both farmers at Oseikrom near Mpasaso in the Ahafo-Ano South district.

He said the two farmers therefore, summoned the accused before the chief of the village and when he was invited to respond to the charge of uprooting the palm trees of the two farmers without authority, he pleaded for forgiveness and was therefore, warned not to go near the palm trees he uprooted.

Chief Inspector Dampson said on March 13, this year, the accused was again summoned before the chief for uprooting more palm trees from the farms of the two farmers.

The chief, this time, the prosecution said, asked for two bottles of 'akpeteshie' from the accused and the two farmers for volunteers to go and verify the authenticity of the complaint lodged by the two farmers.

He said the accused, however, refused to provide his share of the bottle of 'akpeteshie' and instead, warned the two farmers to stop going to their farms otherwise he would kill them if they did so and angrily walked out of the chief's palace.

The prosecution said the chief in spite of the threat of the accused, asked the two farmers to continue to work on their farms.

Chief Inspector Dampson said on March 15, the accused stood by the gate of Osei Kwadwo, one of the farmers and shouted at him that if he set foot on the farm, he will shoot him.

He said a report was again made to the chief and fearing that the accused could take any action, he asked Osei Kwadwo to report the case to the police who, after investigation arrested the accused.