Chief of Sefwi Tumantu and four elders remanded

Sekondi, Feb. 9 GNA - The Chief of Sefwi Tumantu and four elders were on Monday remanded in Prison custody by a Sekondi High Court for allegedly murdering a pregnant woman. They pleaded not guilty and would re-appear before the court on February 10.

They are Nana Kwadwo Ahi alias Kofi Sumena, Chief, Okyeame Kwadwo Nkuah, linguist, Kwasi Mintah, farmer, Yaw Pae, farmer and Yaw Mintah, farmer.

Prosecuting, Principal State Attorney, Mr. William Pobee told the court, presided over by Mr. Justice Clemence J. Honyenuga that the complainant Emmanuel Nketsiah, a settler farmer at Sefwi Tumantu lives at the Nyame Bekyere cottage with his pregnant wife, Felicia Gyeabuor and Atta Kweku his relative.

He said in January 2001, Okyeame Nkuah, Mintah, Pae and Yaw Mintah approached Atta Kweku and said they needed the blood of a pregnant woman for some rituals and since Felicia was pregnant, they needed his help to kill her for that purpose.

Mr. Pobee said when Kweku refused, they threatened to kill him if he disclosed the discussion with anyone, but pledged to reward him with a large tract of land to enable him to cultivate his own cocoa farm. The prosecutor told the court that Kweku out of fear, kept quiet over the issue.

He said in March the same year, Nketsiah travelled to their hometown in the Brong Ahafo region and left his wife in the care of Kweku.

The following day, around 7:00am, Kweku was about to escort Felicia to the Lorry station since she was travelling to Kumasi, but just then, Mintah, Pae and Yaw Mintah, appeared on the scene and offered to escort Felicia to the station since they were heading that way. Mr. Pobee said two days later, the group sent some items to Kweku allegedly from Felicia in Kumasi.

According to the Prosecutor when Nketsiah returned a week later, he was informed by Kweku that, Felicia had also travelled to Kumasi. Investigations at Kumasi later proved that she had not set foot there. Mr. Pobee said based on this, a search party was organised but Nana Kwadwo Ahin refused to mobilise his subjects to undertake the exercise, but the group discovered the body of Felicia on the cocoa farm of Yaw Pae.

He said Kweku after the discovery, however narrated the whole story to the Police and the various communities that assisted in the search. 09 FEB. 04