Chief On Trial for Assault

Nana Kobina Botwe II, Chief of Agona Swedru and acting President of the Agona Traditional Area, is standing trial at the Agona Swedru Community Tribunal, on charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault and deceiving public office.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges at the Tribunal chaired by Mr. Abdul Fatawu-Yakubu.

The plaintiff, Opanyin Kojo Idun, a 75-year-old farmer at Ekwamkrom, near Agona Swedru, told the court last week that he was slapped four times at the Mandela taxi station by Nana Botwe after a court sitting over a suit with the chief.

According to Opanyin Idun, upon his demand to know why he was being assaulted, he was told he had stolen cassava.

The poor farmer was forced into Nana Botwe's private car by two accomplices, who accompanied the chief and driver to the chief's palace.

He sustained injuries on his legs after being dragged forcibly on the ground to the palace after alighting from Nana's car. He was forced to sit on the bare-floor, and according to the poor farmer, everybody around the palace gave him a slap before being offered a seat.

The plaintiff asserted that the chief then accused him of supporting the plaintiff's sister, the queenmother of Ekwamkrom, in a land litigation.

Opanyin Idun refused to take water and akpeteshi offered him by Okyeame Donkor of the palace and was told by the accused person that with the death of the Nyarkrom chief, he would be sent there.

Upon seeing a server bring out a cutlass from a room, sensing danger, the plaintiff swore the oath of Ekwamkrom gods for protection.

The maltreatment of the 75-year-old farmer later attracted many people to the palace where according to the plaintiff, a northerner policeman with big tribal marks on the cheeks later escorted him to the police station.

The plaintiff saw the accused person at the police station and later issued with police medical report form to attend hospital During cross- examination by Mr. Ishmael Kofi Turkson, counsel for the accused, plaintiff denied stealing cassava from one Osei's farm.

The prosecution is Chief Inspector Janet Dorku and the case has been adjourned for two sittings.