Kade rival chief flees; leaves behind regalia as police pursue him

What was supposed to be a peaceful royal funeral over the weekend turned into a bloody feud between a faction laying claim to the Kade Stool in the Eastern Region and the Police Service.

So bloody was the incident that the man who allegedly commandeered his land guards to attack the police, Kwame Apau, formerly known as Osabarima Agyare Tenadu II, according to bystanders, took to his heels, leaving behind his royal clothe and armrest.

Eyewitnesses say the beleaguered chief, who was gracing the funeral service of two of the royals of Kade allegedly went there with six machete-wielding, well-built men (macho-men) and reportedly commandeered them to teach anyone who dare stops him from sitting on the chief’s stool a bitter lesson, to which they obliged.

In the ensuing melee, innocent people, including an American-based Professor, were injured in the full glare of the about 60 police officers who were detailed to maintain peace at the funeral grounds.

Narrating what happened at the funeral, Richard Obeng popularly known as Oheneba, who was also an eyewitness told this paper in a telephone interview that whilst at the funeral, the destooled chief stormed there with his thugs and ordered them to beat anybody who would stop him from going to sit on his stool as the chief.

True to his words, Oheneba said, the boys, who arrived at the funeral with about three taxies reign terror on everyone, disrupting the funeral until the police came in.

“It was when the police came in to disperse the rioters, and wanted to arrest Kwame Apau, that he took to his heels and left behind his regalia”, Oheneba disclosed.

Meanwhile, Kwame Apau also in a telephone interview with this paper denied that he went to the funeral with land guards. He said he went to the funeral with well-wishers as well as boys from KOANS Estate who wanted to show solidarity with him.

He said but for a police officer’s attempt at shooting him he would not have left behind his regalia and that two of the boys who went to escort him to the funeral were arrested by the police.

However, when this paper contacted the Koforidua District Police Commander, Sup. Steven Delapot, he confirmed the incident and refused to comment further under the excuse that the case was still under investigations.

It would be recalled that, Obaapanyin Akua Fosua, Abusuapanyin Otibu Asare, Nana Banchie Darko Ampem, Krontihene, Asafoatse Kofi Tinyase and Asafoatse Yaw Danso on 9th October 2012, called on the council to address the violation of the traditional oath and failure by the chief to uphold all norms required of him as chief of the town.

They alleged that the chief, who was a defendant in the matter, had violated the code of ethics governing the chieftaincy institution and that the refusal of the kingmakers from taking the necessary action, allowed any principal to institute that action.

To support their stand, they referred to the ruling by the Judicial Committee of the Akyem Abuakwa council on the 1st of May, 2001 in the matter of Nana Kwame Fanti Aduamoah II, Asonafohene of Kade (plaintiff) Vrs Nana Agyakoran Adutwum II Kadehene (Defendant) which plaintiff tendered as exhibit “A” attached to their Affidavit in support.

According to them “the Ghana law report of 1977 page 348 paragraph 3 supports the contention that even the Krontihene alone who is a kingmaker can bring up an action”.

The defendant (Osaberima Agyare Tenadu II) pleaded not guilty of all the charges against him. He stated that all the charges leveled against him by the plaintiffs were unfounded.

The ousted chief argued that that the claim of embezzlement against him was absolute and that the bank statement the defendant tendered in court as exhibit did not tally with any transaction of the Kade Stool Account.

The Chairman of the Judicial Committee of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council, Osaberima Kwame Koh II, giving his ruling at a sitting at Ofori Panyin Fie in Kibi, noted that the judicial committee found the Chief guilty of 14; out of the 17 charges leveled against him.

Also, the committee ruled that the exhibit by the defendant (Osaberimah Agyare Tenadu II) did not relate to the matter before the judicial committee and ordered for a custom to be performed to destool the defendant and a replacement made by the kingmakers.

The council also ordered Osaberimah Agyare Tenadu II, to hand over all the stool paraphernalia to the Abusuapanyin for safe keeping until a new Chief was enstooled. The council further warned the ousted chief not to present himself as the Chief of Kade to the stool land office at Koforidua for the purpose of collecting “royalties”, and was also asked to pay GHC 5,000.00 as penalty to the court.