Nine Remanded Into Police Custody Over Disturbances In Atuabo

Nine out of ten accused persons who were granted bail in an alleged involvement in disturbances in Atuabo in connection with the installation of a new Paramount Chief of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council in Atuabo, Awulae Blay IX somewhere last year, were on Monday, February 03, 2025 arrested and sentenced to police custody in Sekondi by an Axim Magistrate Court.
The Police Prosecutor after listening to orders from the judge on the peace and harmony and state of security in Atuabo since the accused were granted bail, told the court that before the judge granted bail to the ten accused persons,he bonded them to be of good behaviour but were reported of causing disturbances in the town.
However, Counsel for the accused rose to his feet to raise objections to the Prosecutor’s statement that his clients had engaged in disturbances.
The Police Prosecutor then told the court that police invited accused persons to write their statement but refused to show up at the charge office.
Counsel for the accused then told the court that it is the police who must look for the accused but not the accused.
Upon further deliberations between the prosecutor and the judge in cemera, the judge remanded the accused into police custody.
They are to reappear in court on February 17,2025 for failing to honour police invitation .
Meanwhile, the accused persons have been arraigned before the Sekondi High Court at Kweikuma this morning.
As of the time of filing this report,the Axim Circuit court had issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the newly installed Paramount Chief of the Eastern Nzema Traditional Council, Awulae Blay IX after failing to appear in court on Monday.
Sources close to the kingmakers and the royal family at Atuabo,say that the installation was purely a family affair.
However, Awulae Blay IX cannot be described as a self-styled or self-imposed Paramount Chief.
The Queen mother of the royal family called for an out-of-court settlement to pave way for the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism espoused by the Judicial Council of Ghana to work.