Queenmother for Court ...on Forgery Charge

A QUEENMOTHER, Nana Akosua Eku, who allegedly forged the signature of a chief and a family head to sell a land not belonging to her for about ?200 million has been sued at the Akuapem-Akropong Circuit Court.

Nana Eku is alleged to have forged the signature of the Brekusohene, Nana Oteng Korankye II, and the thumbprint of the head of the Asona family of Brekuso, Nana Asante Mensah, to support her claim that a land which actually belongs to Asante Mensah and the Asona family is hers.

Eku who is queenmother of the Aduana family in the town reportedly made the claim at the Lands Commission at Koforidua as part of fraudulent processes leading to the sale of a parcel of the land to a prospective investor.

Yaw Barima and Co, solicitors for Nana Oteng Korankye and da Rocha Chambers, solicitors for the Asona family, had to step in before the Lands Commission suspended the approval of the sale of the parcel of land.

For Nana Korankye, the lawyers said "our client has not signed any such document.

The signature which appears against his name has been forged and he has reported the matter to the police.

da Rocha's is praying the Akropong Circuit court to declare the title Nana Eku claims she has on the land null and void.

It is further seeking to restrain the defendant, herself, her servants, family, workmen or agents from "entering on the land or performing any acts of ownership thereon".

According to Asante Mensah, he had gone to the Lands Commission for a search to be able to sell part of the Asona family land, whereupon he was told that the whole land had been certified by the Brekuso Traditional Council as belonging to Nana Eku.

Apart from the forged signature of the chief and thumbprint of the Abusuapanin, a Nana Aduobi III and Opanyin Kwaku Armah, both of the town, were indicated as having thumbprinted.

The circuit court which issued the writ meant for Nana Eku on August 9, is yet to fix a date for hearing.

Meanwhile, further Chronicle investigations at the Akuapem Mampong police station indicated that the said land dispute is breeding trouble at Brekuso as Fianko, an agent of Okine, a spokesman for the Asona clan, has been charged at the Odumase Circuit Court for assaulting one Kofi Mensah which led to the former loosing two of his teeth.

Due to the volatile nature of Brekuso and Kitase, no policeman wants to be stationed there.

Presently the two policemen on duty there are on attachment.

Mr. Fofie, the District Commander warned that he was not going to sit down to allow his men to be killed in the name of land disputes which they do not have an interest in.

Answering allegations of open lies against the Asona clan by the police, Fofie said land business was not police matter and that the aggrieved parties ought to go to court to seek redress.

"I have no interest in this case. This is a pure civil issue. The IGP would not forgive me if he hears that I am meddling in land cases", he stressed.

Asked to expatiate on that assertion in view of the Ablekuma case, the commander, said he was part of that operation and that the police went there because of the criminal flavour in the case and not to determine who owns the parcel of land.

The commander went on to explain that the police had not taken sides in the case but it was rather Okine who had failed to co-operate with them.

He said Akosua Eku had lodged a formal complaint of threatening against Okine and three others.

This, he said, the police went in to investigate to put the accused before court but scarcely had the investigations begun than Okine started writing letters to the police to prejudice the case.

He went on to say that in the said letter, Okine intimated that Eku had in the past been gaoled for 10 years for possessing Indian hemp and that her case ought to be thrown out.

This, Fofie said, made the police to question Okine whether a purported criminal had no right to seek redress from the police when the one is offended.

He went on to say that when the case was being investigated, Okine reported to the Regional Police Directorate in Koforidua, which called for and is still handling the docket on the said case.

An aggrieved Fofie explained that he had been at post for barely three months and was being bombarded with cases which took place several years back.

This, he said, compelled him to invite Okine to give him clues and leads to effect arrests but up till now he has failed to turn up.

Again most of the vague allegations were made on behalf of certain people.

This allegations, Fofie said, had criminal connotations and that in criminal cases nobody can represent anyone unless the aggrieved person is an umbecile or under age, adding that what prevents the offended from making a case.

On the alleged falsification of the Brekusohene's signature, the Mampong police raised doubts about Eku's ability to sign the land deeds, claiming that the about 75-year-old, blind and unlettered woman has to be bundled to the police station anytime she has to make an appearance.