Court grants bail to alleged Suhum rioters

Koforidua, Jan. 26, GNA - A Koforidua circuit court on Wednesday discharged two persons who had appeared before it in connection with the Suhum riot following a decision by the police not to charge them. Thirty-four others including, a woman, are standing trial for rioting with offensive weapons and were admitted to a bail of 20 million cedis each to re-appear on February 7.

The thirty-four are being prosecuted for roles they are alleged to have played in a riot that occurred in the nodal town of Suhum in the Eastern Region on January 17.

The unrest led to a virtual blockage of traffic from Suhum to Kumasi, Nsawam, Koforidua and Asamankese for close to four hours by a marauding group said to be protesting the death of some five persons in the town since November 2006.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) T.K Nyadu said the accused persons were among a group who seized control of all major routes in Suhum using pieces of wood and burning lorry tyres to block the movements of vehicles.

Lead counsel for the accused persons, Mr Okpoti Mensah, said although it could not be discounted that a riot took place at Suhum, the accused persons were not the culprits and therefore not part of the scheme.

He said the legal team would, in the cause of the trial, adduce evidence to show that accused persons were caught in the fray as the skirmishes between the police and the actual rioters turned messy. Another counsel for the accused persons, Mr Francis Polly, said though his clients were being charged with rioting with offensive weapons, the police have so far failed to present any evidence of any of them being caught with a weapon.