An evangelist, Akwesi Ali Baba and four others have been remanded in Prison custody on separate charges, by Bolgatanga District Court, for declaring three old women from Gare in the Talensi district of the Upper East Region, witches and molesting them as a result.
They will reappear in Court on June 30, 2017, as the Police also ccarry out further investigation.
The Evangelist, Akwesi Ali Baba was charged for the publication of false news intended to cause fear and alarm to the public. The four other accused persons, Doug Sapak, Mba Gudabe, Missah Somlate and Malupaaya Mbanyia, were charged for threat of death, unlawful entry and unlawful damaged.
The Bolgatanga District Court, presided over by His Worship Osman Abdul-Hakim has also granted a Bench Warrant for the arrest of another suspect, Tarebon, who is on the run.
Prosecuting Officer, Inspector Gilbert Boateng Addae told the Court that, on the 6th of June 2017 at around 6:00am, the Evangelist accused three women, Bayeta Kiimbey, Atensage Ziyaaba and Sagteg Yamboreya, all farmers and residing at Gare in the Talensi district, of being witches. Based on that, the four accused persons, now on remand, led by Tarebon, who is at large, attacked the complainants and threatened to kill them.
The complainants, (the three women), according to the Prosecutor managed to escape and fled to Gare Chief Palace and reported the allegation to the Chief. The Prosecutor added that, the accused persons led by Tarebon, at the Chief’s Palace, managed and forcefully arrested the complainants to a “witch-doctor” at Yelwongo, a border town between Burkina-Faso and Bongo in the Upper East Region. The complainants were held there for three days and subjected to trial by ordeal to prove their innocence.
The Prosecutor said on 9th June, the accused persons brought the complainants back to the Chief of Gare and alleged that, the complainants had been confirmed to be witches by their “witch-doctor” in Yelwongo.
According to the Police Prosecutor, the accused then told the Chief of Gare that, they were sending the alleged witches to Gambaga in the Northern region for another trial. However, the Chief of Gare, Naba Yamboregya Gbmere refused to grant their plea and called for the release of the complainants.
In the process, the accused persons became furious and threatened to kill the alleged witches. For fear that, the complainants could be lynched, the Chief asked that, the complainants should be left in his Palace for three days.
Nonetheless, this angered the accused persons who went to the complainants houses and destroyed their properties as they searched for a pot and some items, which the Evangelist claimed the complainants have used in bewitching them.
The prosecutor narrated to the court that, one Roland who was informed of the lawless action of the accused persons, lodged a complaint at the Tongo Police station. Police proceeded to the scene, but the accused persons took to their heels and later the four, Doug Sapak, Mba Gudabe, Missah Somlate and Malupaaya Mbanyia were arrested.
The Evangelist, Akwesi Ali Baba according to the Prosecutor was arrested on Thursday June 15 at the Pelengu market upon a tip off.
His Worship Osman Abdul-Hakim bemoaned the spate of suspected witchcraft cases in recent times in the region, and called on the media and other stakeholders, to help in sensitizing the public, against the labeling of people as witches and wizards and also taking the law into their own hands.
Source: Joshua Asaah / a1radioonline.com|Ghana
