Suspects in murder case Americans to seek bail

Mr Charles Owusu Juan, the Defence Counsel, for the six accused persons connected to the murder of two African-Americans at Fihankra, near Akwamufie in the Eastern Region is to seek bail at the Human Rights Court on June 9.

An Accra Central Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Madam Veronique Abena Praba Manfort, refused bail application for the six people, saying it has no jurisdiction to grant it in a murder case.

At the last adjourned date, the prosecution told the Court that it had forwarded the duplicate docket to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice on the case.

The six people, who were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and murder are: Anokye Yaw Frimpong, a driver; Nana Appia-Nti III, a mechanic; Nana Obiri Yeboah, a farmer; Brenda Kareema Mohammed, a pensioner; Yazid Alazim Mohammed, a businessman; and Mensah Kamaugogo Muata, a surgeon assistant.

The prosecution also told the Court that Nana Yeboah has been sent to the Accra Psychiatric Hospital on its orders and has since been admitted.

Meanwhile, Anokye has also confessed in open court that he was the architect of the crime and that the other accused persons knew nothing about the crime.

Presenting the facts to the Court earlier, Mr Stephen Adjei, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said the deceased persons are Mamelina Diop, 75 and Nzinga, 69, pensioners from the American Civil Service and lived at Fihankra, near Akwamufie.

He said in 1997, some African-Americans in the Diaspora decided to make Ghana their home and they acquired 218.5 acres of land at Appiakrom, which is now called Fihnakra.

The prosecution said in the agreement, the group promised to build schools, hospitals, a stadium and also provide potable drinking water to the communities.

He said the leader of the group, Oluwale Kwadwo Akpan, who has made himself a traditional chief of the area, started issuing indentures and collecting annual rent for the lands allocated to the residents.

He said after his death in May, 2009, his wife, son and the deceased persons took over the management of the funds.

He said some of the accused persons revolted against the arrangement and accused the Akpan family and the two deceased, who were managing the fund for defrauding and mismanagement.

The prosecution said this resulted in the creation of a website, where the Akpan families and the deceased persons were maligned to the Diasporas.

“It also led to a personal confrontation, which has severed the cordial relationship between them and their lives were threatened by the accused persons,” ASP Adjei said.

He said in 2003, the Appia-Nti family filed a civil suit against the Fihankra community at the Koforidua High Court over the acquisition of the land and not fulfilling the terms of the agreement.

ASP Adjei said Brenda, Mohammed and Muata and others yet to be arrested threw their support behind the Appia-Nti family.

Later, the accused persons had series of meeting with Appia-Nti III and his elders to find a way of evicting the Akpan family from the community.

He said both parties later agreed to withdraw the case for settlement at home but Brenda, Mohammed and Muata and others at large met Appia-Nti III and his elders and reminded them of the earlier agreement.

The prosecution said the accused persons promised to enter into better negotiations with them. They further promised Appia-Nti III a storey building belonging to the Akpan family to be used as his palace, when they were evicted.

He said during the disagreement, Brenda, Mohammed and Muata conspired with Ankoye, Appia-Nti III and Nana Frimpong, now at large to move to the community solely to monitor the activities of the Akpan family and the deceased persons.

They then rented a vacant apartment for Anokye, Yeboah and Nana Frimpong for that purpose, for which they moved into the community about nine months ago.

On May 5, the deceased persons were reported missing and a report was made to the Akosombo Police, a search led to the discovery of a freshly dug grave about 150 meters to Anokye’s maize farm.

On May 6, an order was obtained from the District Court at Akosombo for the grave to be dug under the supervision of a medical officer from the VRA hospital.

The bodies were found in a shallow grave and it was removed and deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital pending autopsy.

Investigation led to the arrest of the accused persons, during interrogation, Anokye confessed to the crime, while the others denied their involvement.

The substantial case at the Magistrate court has been adjourned to June 15.