Chief converts palace to cells

Baffour Anom II, Dawu Chief of Dokrokyiwa – a farming community in the Ayensuano District of the Eastern Region – has been accused by the residents in the area of not living with them in a cordial manner.

According to the residents, “the chief has converted his palace into police cells. Besides, he allegedly conspires with the police to extort money unlawfully from them”.

The Dokrokyiwa Electoral Area Assemblyman, Nana Yaw, who led the community to address the media, alleged that Baffour Anom II had given one room at the palace to one Lance Corporal Denis Ampofo aka Makosa, who usually teams up with him to settle criminal cases such as rape, stealing, threats, among others.

The Electoral Area Committee Chairman, Albert Addo, also stated “there is no police station in the area and when there is a criminal case, which must be settled by the police, the chief would order for the arrest of the suspect, tie him or her with a rope and hide him or her in his palace. He would then summon the police from the district headquarters to the palace, then they would fine the suspect to pay an amount ranging from GH¢ 200 to 400. They would share the money without taking the suspect to the district police station for the law to deal with him or her’’.

The Zongo Chief of the area, Alhassan Ali Kasim, also expressed worry about the conduct of Baffour Anom II towards the youth in terms of handling criminal cases.

He declared that if government failed to intervene as soon as possible it would create security threats in the area due to the attitude of the chief towards his people, especially the Zongo youth.

Some of the aggrieved residents, mainly the victims, who also spoke to DAILY GUIDE, accused the chief of extorting unnecessary fines from them whenever they sent a case to the palace for settlement. If they refused to pay, Baffour Anom II and the police would threaten them.

They alleged that the chief through his ‘veto power’ had collapsed a lot of marriage cases which were supposed to be settled amicably by the families of the couples involved.

The assemblyman asserted that his outfit had tried all possible means to get the authorities involved to resolve the issue, but it had yielded no positive results.

The angry residents, therefore, appealed to the Inspector General of Police, the Interior Minister and the Chieftaincy Minister to intervene before they rise up.

Chief’s Reactions

However, when Baffour Anom II was contacted by DAILY GUIDE, he denied the allegations levelled against him; he described them as deliberate attempts by the residents to tarnish his image.

According to him, he only settles minor cases and not criminal cases, which the Chieftaincy Act prevents chiefs from doing.

The chief stated that “I have never settled any criminal case in my palace before. Besides, I haven’t fined anybody unnecessary; my elders and I only settle minor cases . . .”

Also, Baffour Anom II denied giving a room to the said police officer in his palace, saying the police officer stays at the barracks in the district police station and not in the Dokrokyiwa community.

When contacted, DSP Charles Ahiamale, Ayensuano District Commander, said the said police officer stays in the Dokrokyiwa community with his family and not in the palace.

The police chief also denied having any knowledge about the chief’s unfriendly attitude towards his people.

DSP Charles Ahiamale continued, “I’m not aware of such incidents; I’m asking the residents to produce pictorial evidence to me whenever the chief ties someone with a rope or lock someone in the said cells so that we can arrest the him since he is not above the law’’.