Court remands rioters

Accra, June 8, GNA - Ten rioters who were arrested in connection with alleged disturbances at the Gbese Mantse Palace during the ceremony lifting the ban on drumming appeared before an Accra Circuit Court on Friday.

The accused included a woman, Emelia Neeqauye, a trader. The rest are, Daniel Nii Amah Tagoe, hairdresser, Obodai Torgbor, Daniel Klotey and Ammah Tagoe, fishermen.

The rest are Samuel Pappoe, Amos Aful, Students, Isaac Addo, Toll collector and Kofi Kamaru-Deen, a tailor. Their plea was not taken and the court remanded them into police custody until June 20 to assist the police in further investigations.

They were charged on two counts of intentionally and unlawfully causing damage to the wind screen and head light of a police vehicle valued at three million cedis the property of Republic of Ghana and using offensive weapons such as broken bottles, stones clubs and cutlasses.

According to Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Eric Amoako, the facts of the case are that on June 6, the Accra South Police Commander Supt. Nana Afful led a team of police personnel to provide security coverage at the ceremonial grounds at Gbese in connection with the lifting of the ban on drumming and noise making in the city. On arrival, the police observed that human excreta had been sprinkled all over the Gbese palace.

ASP Amoako said the assistance of Ghana National Fire Service was sought to clean the place. Few moments later, a faction opposed to the incumbent Gbese Mantse including the accused persons from nowhere arrived at the grounds and started throwing stones, clubs and broken bottles and human excreta and other missiles at the police. In the process they caused damage to police vehicle with the registration number GP 1421 belonging to the James Town District Police. ASP Amoako said it was revealed that Otu Commetey, the seventh accused person who is the conservative labourer at the Gbese main toilet supplied the mob with human excreta.

He said police fired tear gas to disperse the rioters allow for the commencement of the ceremony which was attended by some government officials, the Ga Mantse and some chiefs of Accra. He said the police later arrested the accused persons and when Samuel Pappoe, the fourth accused was searched before being placed in custody, five stones and a kitchen knife were found on him. ASP Amoako prayed the court to remand them in police custody for further investigation.

Counsel for the accused admitted that indeed there were some disturbances on the said date but the accused were innocent since they were arrested in their various home. Counsel prayed the court to admit his clients into bail, saying the police did indiscriminate arrest and that he will lead evidence to proof their innocence but the court refused.