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Ex-chief's palace vandalised at Twifu-Mampong

Fri, 5 Jan 2001 Source: GNA

The palace of the late Omanhene of Twifu-Mampong Traditional Area, Nana Ampontenfi II, was on Tuesday vandalised and his remains that were interred there allegedly removed.

It was also alleged that the black stool, palanquin and some stool regalia have been stolen. Nana Ampontenfi died about five years ago.

The Queenmother, Nana Nyamaa Broni II, who was assaulted, is on admission at the Assin Fosu Catholic Hospital.

The incident was believed to have stemmed from a chieftaincy dispute between the Akonfre and Asokwa families over the outdooring of a new chief.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Mr Fred Afum, a teacher and husband of the queenmother, alleged that five members of the Akonfre family led 20 policemen and 10 "machomen" to vandalise the palace.

When the GNA visited the town on Wednesday, it observed that the doors and windows to the 13-room palace had been destroyed and the floor of the courtyard of the palace covered with blood while broken bottles and furniture littered around.

A Nissan Sunny saloon car with registration number WR 349A parked at the palace and a cocoa shed near the palace had also been destroyed.

Mr Afum alleged that the incident followed the refusal of the regent, Nana Kofi Buabin of Asokwa family, to allow the Akonfre family, which had installed a new Omanhene, under the stool name of Nana Kojo Entwiwaa II, to enter the palace.

He further alleged that the police, who had been invited by the Akonfre family from Twifu Praso, fired warning shots and teargas at members of the Asokwa family who were then guarding the palace and, in the process, destroyed property and stole some stool regalia.

Mr Afum took the GNA to inspect eight destroyed houses and visit their occupants who were assaulted on suspicion that the 'black stool' was in their custody.

When contacted, Opanyin Kwesi Addo, head of the Akonfre family, alleged that members of the Asokwa family prevented them from entering the palace to look for the black stool.

He said the Asokwa members mounted roadblocks and threw stones at them during a procession through the town.

He said it was as a result of that the policemen responded by throwing teargas into the midst of the culprits and apprehended some of them.

Opanyin Addo alleged that it was after the arrests had been made that they had information that the black stool had been hidden in the tomb of the late Omanhene and therefore led the police to the palace to retrieve it.

He explained that, traditionally, the royal families have a special room at the palace where the black stool and other regalia are kept. But when they went there, the items could not be found and so they decided to break the doors to all the rooms in search of the items.

He said they retrieved the stool from under the coffin containing the remains of the late Omanhene and thereafter outdoored the new chief.

According to Opanyin Addo, Nana Buabin has since the death of Nana Ampontenfi refused all attempts to have a new Omanhene installed even though it is the turn of the Akonfre to do so.

When the Central Regional Police Commander, Mr Jossie Amofa, was contacted on Thursday, he confirmed the incident and said investigations were in progress.

Source: GNA