Eleven land-guards remanded

Eleven land guards appeared before an Accra Circuit Tribunal charged with conspiracy and threat of harm.

The land-guards defied the orders of a High Court in Accra and threatened to kill and burn a house belonging to Charles Opoku Darko, a businessman.

The accused are Habib Iddrisu, Ibrahim Wabu and Abdul Ganiyu all Togolese and Mohammed Awal and Nuhu Abdallah both Burkinabe.The rest are Mohammed Jibril, Samuel Owusu, Yakubu Seidu, Roger Kejessa, Karimu Abudu and Abu Alhassan, all Ghanaians.

They pleaded not guilty and were remanded in police custody to reappear on August 6.

"If the accused are granted bail who knows they may carry out their threat," the tribunal said.Deputy Superintendent of Police Patrick Sarpong, prosecuting said Mr Darko bought a parcel of land at Djornaman in Accra and registered it with the Lands Commission.

However one Rose Aryee of Samampa Construction had been organising some land-guards to terrorise Mr Darko and his developers.

The prosecutor said as a result, Mr Darko sought an order of a High Court to restrain Rose Aryee and her land guards from entering the land. The High Court also ordered the police to supervise the removal of pillars erected by Aryee and the land guards.

On May 5 when Mr Darko visited the land the accused persons, armed themselves with clubs, cutlasses and other weapons attacked him.

The Prosecution said a neighbour telephoned the police who responded swiftly and arrested the accused persons during which they threatened to kill Mr Darko and burn his house if they are released from police custody.