Apremdo Assemblyman, 15 others remanded

Takoradi, Sept. 19, GNA - A circuit court in Takoradi on Monday remanded Francis Bossman, Assemblyman for Apremdo and 15 others for rioting and exhuming a dead body. Their pleas were not taken and the facts of the case were not presented.

They will re-appear on September 23.

The accused persons were Abusuapanyin Kofi Essuon, driver, Abusapanyin Dominic Yalley, farmer, Maame Sakyiaba, trader, John Nat Payin, businessman and Kwame Essuon, mason. Others were Elvis Osei, driver, Mohammed Nketsiah, lotto agent, Steven Tandoh, farmer and Muntari Zakari.

The rest were Ibrahim Osumanu, Mustapha Mohamed, Mensban Musah, Mazuh Mumuni, Steven Nana Artu alias Nana-Banyin and Eliasu Mohammed. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) A F Sabaliko, the prosecutor, urged the court to adjourn the case since the Police had not concluded its investigations.

Mr Kwaku Kum represented the suspects.

The Police at Kwesiminstim over the weekend arrested the suspects for their involvement in the unlawful exhumation of a dead body at the Apremdo Public Cemetery and rioting.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency (GNA), a Police source said at about 1800 hours on September 13, relatives of Nana Nware Eziah, II, Gyaasehene of Apremdo went to bury the body of 10-year-old Lawrence Tandoh at the Apremdo cemetery when the youth of the town attacked them with stones and clubs.

In the process the youth suspecting foul play in the death of the boy vandalised a Toyota Pickup with registration number GR1448R being used by the mourners.

Those burying the corpse sensing danger fled the scene and the youth exhumed the body and kept vigil with it till the following day. The source said when the Police went to the cemetery to convey the corpse they were also attacked with stones and other dangerous implements but they managed to convey it to the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital for autopsy. According to the source, the deceased had been sick for a long time and was at a prayer camp in the Central Region after several medical interventions had failed. The deceased was related to Awulae Blay, a paramount chief of Eastern Nzema and since he was married to Nana Eziah, they decided to bury him at Apremdo; however, this was misunderstood by the youth who suspected that the boy was murdered for ritual purposes.