Court warns accused persons in alleged attack on Ga Mantse Palace

Accra, June 7, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court presided over by Mr C.A.

Wilson, on Monday warned the four accused persons allegedly involved in t he attack on the Ga Mantse Palace to be of good behaviour. They were warned to remain calm for peace to prevail otherwise if th ere were any breach of the peace in the area; they would be remanded into pol ice custody until the trial was over.

This was after Mr Peter Abiaduku, Counsel for the accused persons ha d pleaded with the court to admit the accused persons to bail. The presiding judge, Mr Wilson, admitted three of them to GH¢10,00 0 bail each with two sureties to be justified. They are Nii Saban-Quaye, a goldsmith, Otu Blankson, a photographer and Isaac Ayittey Quaye, a fisherman all living at Gbese, a suburb of Accra. They had been charged with being on the premises for unlawful purpos e, causing unlawful damage, assault and stealing.

They had pleaded not guilty. The fourth accused person, Nii Tackie Obilie also known as Ayittey Canada, a traditionalist, charged with aiding and abetment; had at an earlier sitting been granted GH¢10,000 bail with two sureties to be justified. The accused persons would re-appear on June 28. Mr Armah Amarfio, Counsel for Ga Traditional Council (GTC) informed the court that traditional drums and furniture at the palace were destroyed b y the attackers and were nearly set ablaze therefore there were no furnitur e for the Council to undertake its deliberative functions.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Riendolf Agyemang, prosecuting, told the court that the complainant was caretaker of the palace. He said at about 0130 hours on Monday, May 24, Nii Saban-Quaye, Blankson, Quaye and 17 others now at large went to the palace on the orde rs of Nii Obilie, who was in a chieftaincy dispute with Nii Tackie Tawiah II I, Ga-Mantse, to pack all furniture in the waiting room outside.

ASP Agyemang said the accused persons entered the palace after scal ing the wall and damaged eight louvre blades valued at GH¢16.00, forcibly o pened two store-rooms and took away a 45-inche plasma TV set, some Binatone appliances including wall clocks, fans, coffee mixers, three amplifiers a nd two speakers. He said in addition, they damaged five talking drums valued at GH¢1,000 and went upstairs where the complainant was living, assaulted him and his wife with cutlasses. ASP Agyemang said Nii Saban-Quaye took away GH¢520 and three mobi le phones from the complainant's room. He said during the attack, a police patrol team arrived at the scen e and arrested the three accused persons, who in their caution statement admitted acting on the instructions of Nii Obilie through one Bruno now a t large. The prosecutor said GH¢242 cash and three mobile phones were retr ieved from Saban-Quaye after the other suspects had escaped. A locally made pistol, a live cartridge and three cutlasses were fo und at the scene. He said the complainant and wife who sustained injuries were referr ed to the Police Hospital where they were treated and discharged. 7 June 10