Chief arrested for fraud

The divisional chief of Ahanta Akatakyi in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region, Nana Bozza IX, has been hauled before a Takoradi Circuit court for alleged fraud.

The chief is alleged to have misappropriated an amount of GH¢1,100,000.00 meant to compensate residents in the area whose farm produce were destroyed to pave the way for the construction of a campus for Takoradi Polytechnic (T-Poly) at Akatakyi.

The court presided over by Christina Donkor, granted the accused person bail in the sum of GH¢1,100,000.000 with four sureties to be justified and adjourned the case to April 18, 2016.

Prosecuting, DSP Richard Boatey told the court that the complainant in the case is the Rector of Takoradi Polytechnic, Rev Professor John Frank Eshun while the accused is the divisional chief of Akatakyi.

He indicated that in the year 2012, the accused sold out 153 acres of land belonging to some individual families from Akatakyi to the management of Takoradi Polytechnic at a cost of GH¢1,100,000.00.

The prosecutor added that the amount the chief collected from the management of the institution included compensation to be paid to the affected families as agreed.

DSP Boatey mentioned that all efforts made by the management of T-Poly for the chief to abide by his promise proved futile.

According to the prosecutor, the management of T-Poly had started developing the land but the affected families had been attacking it and demonstrating against the on-going project. .

On March 29, 2016, the management made a report to the police, leading to the arrest of the accused adding, “Investigations are on-going.”

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists, the Ahanta West District Chief Executive (DCE), Joseph Dofoyena, confirmed the arrest of the chief and corroborated the purchase of the land for the project.

He noted that prior to the development of the land, it was agreed that those whose crops, including coconut, palm trees, cassava and oranges, among others, were destroyed would be compensated.

The DCE confirmed that an amount of GHc1,100,000.00 was therefore paid to the chief which included compensation.

However, since then, the chief had allegedly failed to give out the monies due the affected residents.

The DCE pointed out that the District Security Committee (DISEC) had made some attempts to let the chief pay the monies to the individual families but to no avail.

According to Mr. Dofoyena, at one of the meetings, the chief promised to pay the affected individual families what was due them by the end of February this year “so I told the people that by the end of March they would get their compensation.”

Mr. Dofoyena said even though the chief confirmed that he had received the money, he could not tell when exactly the residents would get their monies.