Court remands Adoagyiri rioters in prison custody

Koforidua, March 28, GNA - Seventy-nine out of 80 suspected persons involved in the three-day communal clashes of the youth at Adoagyiri, near Nsawam, have been remanded in prison custody for two weeks by a Koforidua Circuit Court on Tuesday for rioting with weapons charge. The suspect, Kojo Samuel, a limb fitting staff of the Catholic Orthopaedic Centre at Adoagyiri, was granted a five-million-cedi bail with a surety through the joint pleas by Mr Asante Ansong, a Koforidua lawyer and a nun at the Centre, in view of the crucial role he undertakes at the centre.

Prosecuting, Assistant Police Superintendent (ASP) Theophilus Nyadu said, on March 24, 2006, the youth gangs from Adoagyiri and Adoagyiri Zongo were gambling when confusion arose between them when one of the gamblers claimed his 20,000 cedis was stolen. He told the court, presided over by Mr Charles Agbevor, that the incident erupted a series of violent clashes between the two groups, saying for three days the township had known no peace.

According to ASP Nyadu, the clashes had led to some people being wounded, cars smashed and stores vandalized and property worth several millions of cedis stolen. He said following a raid by the police from the Eastern Region and Accra on Monday, the 80 persons were arrested to help police in their investigations. ASP Nyadu pleaded with the court to remand the suspects to enable the police to bring the situation under control. Mr. Agbevor said on humanitarian reasons, he was granting bail to Samuel, the 38th accused, because of the urgent role he plays at the Orthopaedic Centre.