78-year-old driver granted 100 million cedi bail

Tema, March 24, GNA- A 78-year-old driver was on Wednesday granted a 100 million cedi bail with two sureties by a Tema Circuit Court 'B' for aiding in the destruction of a ten acre farm land at a cost of over 250 million cedis.

Asafoatse Nartey Otumfuo pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetment of crime and would re-appear before the court on April 5, this year. A bench warrant was issued for the arrest of the first accused person, Dora Marku Yemetey, who is said to be at large.

The presiding Judge, Mr Stephen Teye ordered the investigator in the case, Daniel Tome to proceed immediately against the surety of the first accused if not found before the next adjourned date. The Prosecutor, Mrs Alice Gyamfi told the court that the complainant in the case Daniel Mensah acquired the land from a witness in the case 15 years ago and planted cassava and mangoes on it in the year 2000.

She said Dora who has been staying in Holland for sometime now just after planting appeared and demanded that the land belonged to her so she summoned him to the Chief at Dodowa.

According to the prosecutor, Mensah explained to the Chief that he only leased the farm from somebody and pleaded for sometime to produce that person.

The case was later sent to a high court in Accra which is still pending.

She said on February 15, this year, Mensah went to the farm and saw the first accused destroying the crops with a grader. He reported the case to the police who arrested her immediately.

Meanwhile during interrogation the first accused mentioned Asafoatse, the second accused as the one who sold the land to her and advised her to destroy the crops to enable her develop it. He was immediately arrested and charged with the offence abetment of crime.