Twenty-seven men, believed to have engaged in land guard activities, have been arrested at Borteyman near Trassacco, and put before an Accra Circuit Court.
They are Muda Haref, 53, a businessman, Musa Ibrahim, 45, a driver, Ibrahim Adama, 36, a painter, Yusif Musah, 36, a footballer, Muniru Yusif, 27, a businessman, Alhassan Nouapor, 33, a security man, William Addo, 34, a motorbike mechanic, Razak Abdul Raman, 28, a butcher, Yakubu Saheed, 53, a security man, Bashiru Issa, 43, a butcher, and Wahab Moro, 27 a delivery man.
The rest are Maxwell Kuma, 18, a motor mechanic, Mohammed Samudeen, 48, Yaw Anthony Dogman, 30, Nazil Mohammed, 25, Abdallah Nicholas, 42, Mustaph Aminu 30, Adam Abdulliah, 35yrs, Bulldozer Operator, Abdala Ahmed, 25, Abatala Musa, 36, Ali Musa 34, Fasial Kassim, 32, Issah Mohammed, 36, Sumala Amunuin ,36, Alhassan Osuman, 49, Dawada Namba, 38, and Razak Yaayah, 25.
Haref and the 26 others were charged with conspiracy to commit a commit and prohibition of activities of land guards. These offences are contrary to Sections 23(1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29), and 7(3) of Vigilantism and Related Offences Act 999, (Act 2019).
The accused persons were presented before the court, presided over His Honour Samuel Bright Acquah, yesterday. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been remanded into Nsawam Prisons for two weeks.
ASP Maxwell Oppong narrated to the court that the case was reported to the police by a pensioner, Kenneth Brobbey.
He said somewhere in 2021, suspect Benefor Kofi Ben Asamoah (at large) of Asamoah Properties demanded and collected US$350,000 from the complainant under the pretext of selling three acres of land situated at East Legon, near Trassacco, to him.
According to the prosecutor, Asamoah, after collecting the money, asked the complainant to wait as he was eager to begin development.
ASP Oppong added that after the complainant paid the said amount, he was barred from entering the land until Wednesday, August, 2023, when he was invited by Asamoah to observe the grading and demarcation of the land.
The pensioner, in the company of his agent, Eric Ansah, visited the land and met the accused persons protecting the bulldozer operator and his mate grading same.
He told the court that while the complainant was observing the grading, representatives of a local authority in Trassacco, who are litigating over the land, called the police to report the activities of Asamoah.
A police patrol team from the Accra Regional Headquarters was dispatched to the scene and the accused persons were arrested.
The court was further told that preliminary investigations revealed that Benefor Kofi Ben Asamoah engaged the service of the accused persons, led by Muda Haref, to guard the land.
The prosecutor indicated that the accused persons were slapped with the provisional charges and brought before the court, whilst efforts were underway to get Benefor Kofi Ben Asamoah arrested for investigation.
The case has been adjourned to August 22, 2023.
