Trader, fisherman in court over alleged vigilantism

The Accra Circuit Court Four has granted a GHC500,000.00 bail with two sureties each to a trader and fisherman accused of vigilantism.

The Court ordered that the sureties of Nii Sakumano Sei-Tse, 62 and Nii Abele, 55, should be justified with land title equivalent to half of the bail amount.

They are to deposit their Voter’s Identity cards, Ghana Cards or passports which have not expired.

They were also charged for causing harm to a fence wall around four plots of land which cost is unknown.

Both have denied conspiring to commit the offences.

Nii Sakumano Sei-Tse and Nii Abele are to report back to the Court on November 20, 2023.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Maxwell Oppong told the Court presided over by Kizita Naa Kowa Quarshie that Mr Prosper Max Lotsu, the Complainant in this case is a lawyer and resident of Nungua.

Nii Sakumano Sei-Tse is a trader and Nii Abele is a fisherman and both are residents of Nungua.

On August 16, 2023, the complainant petitioned the Accra Regional Police Command to the effect that he purchased four plots of land from Gborbu Wulomo the overlord of the Nungua Traditional Area in 2010. DSP Oppong said the documents were issued by the Nungua Traditional Authority in the presence of witnesses and duly signed for the complainant.

He said the complainant put up a fence wall around the four plots of land and secured the land.

Prosecution said later the complainant had information that a group of young men unlawfully trespassed on the land and attempted to divide it into two.

DSP Oppong said on August 28, 2023, the Police Regional SWAT Patrol team was dispatched to the scene to assist the complainant, where Nii Sei-Tse was arrested for investigation and was granted Police enquiry bail to be reporting periodically but he failed to do so.

The Court heard that on October 17, 2023, the complainant had information that the accused persons had organised a group of land-guards on motorbikes who invaded the land with Bulldozer, causing unlawful damage to the fence wall.

He said Police Regional SWAT Patrol team proceeded to the site where the accused persons were arrested during the unlawful act but the other land guards managed to escape with their motor bikes.

After the arrest, they were escorted to the Regional Headquarters for investigation.

It was revealed that the accused persons together with the landguards caused the damage to the fence wall and evidence of a video footage was captured by the Police.

Accused persons were then charged with the offences and put before court whilst efforts are underway to arrest their accomplices.

Lawyer Paul Asibi Abarigah, their counsel, in praying for bail, said the two were advanced in age, were not flight risk, would appear to stand trial, had people of substance to stand as sureties, had fixed places of abode and had pleaded innocence.

In opposition, Prosecution said they were flight risk and a danger to society.

Citing that Nii Sei-Tse refused to comply with police enquiry bail terms only for him to hire landguards to cause that damage and it took the Police SWAT Unit to contain the situation, adding that when granted bail, they would not appear to stand trial.

He said the Police were still investigating the case and that they would be needed to lead police to arrest their accomplices they mentioned during interrogation.

They would also interfere with investigations when granted bail, DSP Oppong said.