Court remands land guards over alleged threat of death

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded two alleged land guards, Kwaku Badu, 51, and Issah Oko Okai, 38, accused of threatening to shoot and kill a security personnel from Comet Property Limited.

The duo is also accused of organizing a group of land guards and causing unlawful damage to the windscreen of an excavator valued at GH₵44,000.00, property of Comet Property Limited.

Badu and Okai face joint charges of conspiracy to commit a crime, engaging in land guard activity, and threat of death. Additionally, Badu faces a separate charge of causing unlawful damage.

The accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Frank Yao Amegashie, counsel for the accused, requested bail for his clients, asserting that they would not interfere with police investigations.

"After careful consideration of the charge sheet, My Lord, the accused persons will not impede the investigation as they have been granted police inquiry bail and will present themselves for trial. We humbly pray that the court exercises its discretion to grant bail, as they have reputable sureties," he added.

Opposing their release, the prosecution, led by Superintendent of Police Augustus Yirenkyi, argued that the accused could commit further offenses, as they had already been granted police inquiry bail.

"The accused persons' presence in the community poses a serious threat, and I request that they be remanded into police custody for further investigation," he stated.

After considering arguments from both the defense and prosecution, the court, presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, determined that the accused posed a threat to public safety.

Consequently, Badu and Okai were remanded to Nsawam Prison and are scheduled for a court appearance on July 22, 2024. Meanwhile,their accomplices, Abdul Razak Hussein, Mogabe, and Redo, remain at large.

Presenting the facts, the prosecution stated that Kingsley Adjei, a security coordinator at Comet Property Limited, Accra, and the accused, along with their accomplices, are residents of Abokobi and its surroundings.

On May 5, 2024, the petitioner and other workers were dispatched to work on Comet Property Limited's 407 acres of land in Abokobi.

Badu, Okai, and their accomplices, claiming affiliation with the Numoo Mashie family, allegedly attacked the workers on-site, causing GH₵44,000.00 worth of damage to the excavator's windscreen.

Furthermore, the prosecution claimed that the accused threatened the workers and one Comet Property Limited security officer, Robert Klutsey, with death if they were seen on the land again.

Following the incident, a case was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of Badu and Okai. During the investigation, the accused denied the charges in their caution statements.