Sebastian Quayson, a 32-year- old driver, and Daniel Essuman, 22, and Stephen Arthur, 42, both illegal gold miners, have appeared
before Takoradi Circuit Court “B” for alleged assault and causing unlawful damage.
They pleaded not guilty and the court presided by Mr Charles Nimako granted them bail in the sum of 5,000 Ghana cedis and one surety each to re-appear on February 25.
Prosecuting, Police Inspector Seth Ahelegbe said John Tandoh, the complainant, is a fetish priest at Kwamekrom while the accused persons are from Fasin and Kwamekrom.
He said about a month ago one Omane Armoo from Fasin consulted the oracle of the complainant at Kwamekrom concerning the theft of his cell phone at Fasin.
Inspector Ahelegbe said Armoo requested the complainant to use the oracle to compel the thief to return the phone.
He said the complainant followed Armoo to his house at Fasin with a shot gun and fired a shot into the air after performing some rituals.
Inspector Ahelegbe said a few days after the rituals the alleged thief went to Armoo’s house at Fasin and placed the phone at his doorstep.
He said Armoo went to the complainant’s shrine at Kwamekrom to inform him about the return of the phone but the complainant could not reverse the curses.
Inspector Ahelegbe said on January 13, one Kwaku Mozu from Fasin died
mysteriously and at about 0800 hours on January 15, his ghost was alleged to have
manifested in a woman from Kwamekrom called Abumi who revealed that the death of the deceased was spiritually caused by the rituals performed by the complainant and Armoo.
He said the possessed Abumi was alleged to have stormed the complainant’s house, retrieved the shot gun, a clay pot and a knife and marched him and Armoo to the funeral grounds at Fasin.
Inspector Ahelegbe said an angry mob of about 20 people from Fasin and Kwamekrom including the accused persons dragged the complainant and Armoo to the Chief’s palace at Fasin where the Chief directed that the issue be resolved after the burial of the deceased.
He said thirsty for instant justice, the irate mob went amok and pounced on the
complainant and Armoo and subjected them to severe beatings.
Inspector Ahelegbe said the complainant and Armoo managed to free themselves from their assailants and fled into a nearby bush.
He said after the incident, the accused persons and their accomplices, now at large,
marched to the house of the complainant at Kwamekrom, vandalized his properties and set his two bed room house ablaze.
Inspector Ahelegbe said at about on January 19 when Policemen went to the scene at Kwamekrom the complainant emerged from his hiding place and he was rescued
and taken to the Agona Nkwanta Police Station.
He said the accused persons were arrested on that same day and taken to the Police
Station for interrogation but the whereabouts of Armoo is not known.
