Trial Of NDC Members: Heavy Security At Court

Armed police personnel were today deployed at the premises of the Kumasi circuit tribunal for the second hearing of the case in which nine NDC supporters are standing trial for allegedly assaulting a female supporter of the NPP. The deployment of the security follows reports that some NDC members had planned a demonstration at the court in solidarity with their colleagues who were remanded in custody last week.

Ashanti Regional Executives of the NPP were present at the court while leading members of the NDC, some of whom had traveled all the way from Accra were at the court. The court however granted the accused a 10 million-cedi bail each with one surety. They would re-appear on November 15.

The nine pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawfully and intentionally causing harm and unlawfully destroying a piece of cloth. They were remanded in prison custody when they made their first appearance on October 23.

Granting them bail, Mr Obimpeh, chairman of the tribunal, said he took cognisance of an apology rendered by their counsel, Mr Mathias Gollo, for their unruly conduct during the previous appearance. He said the tribunal was a court of law and not any political party and for that matter would have dealt seriously with the accused for the misconduct.

Mr Obimpeh said law and order had broken down at various stages in the society and that if this should be extended to the court, which formed the last line, there could be disaster.

Mr Gollo earlier in his application for bail said what Ghana needed was peace and reconciliation but not tension. He said a continued detention of the accused could heighten tension. "Our democracy is fragile and must not be disturbed".

The accused are alleged to have assaulted, injured and torn the clothes of one Hajia Maame during the Kumawu parliamentary bye-election at Kumawu on October 1, 2002.