Father and son charged with threatening to kill a relative

Asamankese, July 01, GNA - The Asamankese Circuit court on Thursday granted bail in the sum of two million cedis with one surety each to a 69-year-old father, Stephen Larweh Osikani and his 29-year-old son, David Asamoah Sika, a teacher, for threatening to kill their female relative. Osikani and his son, who pleaded not guilty to the charge of threatening to kill Koloki Osikani with a cutlass on May 31, are to re-appear in court on July 27.

Police Chief Inspector Osei Owusu said Stephen Osikani is the paternal brother of the complainant, Koloki and both of them lived at Koleya village near Suhum. He said some years ago, the father of the complainant died and the head of family shared his properties, including plots of land, among the children.

Inspector Owusu said about eight years ago, Koloki left Suhum to reside at Akyem Oda and during her absence, Stephen farmed on her land. When she returned to Suhum recently, Stephen accused her of killing his son with witchcraft and that he had taken over her land and warned her not to set foot on it.

Inspector Owusu said Koloki reported the matter to the Community Head who was also their family head and he advised Stephen against harassing the woman. He said Koloki sold a portion of her land to one Asare but on May 30 when Asare went to the plot he saw that Stephen and his son David, who were on the plot, had removed the pillars he had used to demarcate his plot.

They drove Asare away and threatened to deal with him if he should dare to step on the plot again. Asare reported the incident to Koloki and when she went to plot she met Stephen and his son wielding cutlasses. The two threatened her to leave or "count herself dead " but she insisted that they rather had no right to be on the land. The two men chased her and threatening to kill her. She ran home and lodged a complaint with the police and the two were arrested.