Lawyer, Minister Cross Swords Over chieftaincy matter

The solicitor for the Nsoatre Abakomahene and the Nsoatre and Nsesesreso Royal Family in the Brong Ahafo Region has questioned the authority of the Regional Minister, Nana Nsiah Seinti, over his alleged interference in the Nsoatre chieftaincy affair.

The solicitor, Nana Fredua-Agyeman has accused the regional minister of withholding the identity of alleged murderers of a young man at the chief's palace at Nsoatre.

But the minister has denied the allegations, saying he only had a friendly chat with a man who was sent to him as the Abusuapanin. Nana Seinti said in any case, the conversation referred to was in May, and saw no reason why it should be blown out of proportion now.

"I was not even a regional minister then, when Kwasi was murdered so how would I claim knowledge of the identity of his murderer?" Nana Seinti told The Chronicle on Friday.

Nana Fredua-Agyeman's move to question the minister's motive was in the wake of calls by the Nsoatre royal family to the Director of Public Prosecutions to appoint a fresh team to investigate the murder of 28 year-old Kwasi Agyei at the Nsoatre palace.

Agyei was murdered while asleep by persons suspected to be supporters of Prof. Kwabena Oppong-Bachie of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a contestant to the Nsoatre stool on February 6, 2002.

The case has been under investigations since then and the family of the deceased has protested to the Attorney General's department over the delay in bringing two persons whom they suspected to have murdered Agyei, to justice.

But Nana Fredua-Agyeman said the minister had denied the involvement of the two men and rather claimed the perpetrator was around.

In a letter to Nana Seinti on November 13, Nana Fredua-Agyeman questioned why he failed to inform the Sunyani Regional Police Commander or the Regional CID boss to cause the arrest of the alleged murderer.

He also raised concern about the minister's interest in ensuring that Prof. Oppong-Bachie becomes the Omanhene of Nsoatre by hook or crook.

According to him, the minister's canvassed support for Prof. Oppong-Bachie constituted interference.

"The Government of Ghana of which the Hon. Minister is a senior member has stated time without number that the government will not interfere in chieftaincy matters.

But what the Hon. Regional Minister told the Abusuapanin constitutes an interference," Nana Fredua-Agyeman asserted.

The regional minister was reported to have called on the Abusuapanin of Nsoatre and his royal family to support Prof. Oppong-Bachie in his bid to become the Omanhene of Nsoatre.

The solicitor also alleged that Nana Seinti told the Abusuapanin and his brother that the murder of Kwasi Agyei at the Nsoatre Palace by people identified as supporters of Prof. Oppong Bachie must not be of worry to them.

When contacted the minister told The Chronicle: "I wanted to understand the circumstances of the Nsoatre chieftaincy dispute and the lawyer for the Abusuapanin, sent a young man to me. I was with the BNI director and we had a friendly chat. I am surprised that someone would have gone ahead to blow this out of proportion."