Chief Defrauds Teacher Of GH¢ 31,723

Daily Guide- Nana Krah II, chief of Krakrom in Upper Dixcove in the Western Region and two persons have been hauled before a Takoradi Circuit Court for allegedly defrauding one Kenneth Appiah Quayson, a teacher in the area, to the tune of GH ¢31,723.00.

The chief of Krakrom allegedly took the money from Quayson, a complainant in the case, under the pretext of making him (Quayson) the Paramount Chief of Upper Dixcove Traditional area.

Nana Krah II, the first accused person, pleaded not guilty to the charge of defrauding under false pretense.

The second and third accused persons, who were charged with breach of Public Order Act and conspiracy, also pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The court, presided over by Charles Nimako, granted the accused persons bail in the sum of GH¢20,000 to reappear today, October 4, 2013.

Prosecuting, Inspector Yakubu Fuseini told the court that the complainants- a teacher and trader are both natives of Upper Dixcove while the first accused person is the chief of Krakrom.

The second accused person is unemployed while the third accused person is a chainsaw operator, he noted.

He indicated that on June 2, 2002 the Paramount Chief of Upper Dixcove passed away and since that time the chiefs and elders of the area made efforts to install a new chief but to no avail.

He told the court that somewhere in May 2013 the first accused person decided to install Quayson as the new paramount chief without the consent of the family head and the queenmother.

The first accused person allegedly forced the first complainant to renovate the chief’s palace and purchase some gold ornaments for the inauguration.

According to the prosecutor, the first accused person also collected money for the purchase of ornaments, hampers, food and drinks, three sheep, as well as printing of T-shirts, police permit, transportation and security, among others. In total, the complainant spent GH¢31,723.00.

The Krakrom chief promised Quayson that he would be installed the paramount chief of Upper Dixcove on May 25, 2013 at 12 noon.

On the said date while the complainant was preparing to move to the palace for the inauguration, he had information that the first accused person was installing one of his nephews, one Oulu Ashia as the new paramount chief.

Quayson quickly rushed to the palace and detected that a sheep had been slaughtered for the commencement of the installation of Ashia.

The second and third accused persons slaughtered the sheep and prayed to the ancestral gods respectively.

The complainant, together with one Nana Ndasi III in the area, immediately informed the police about the incident.

In the company of the complainant, the police stormed the palace.

Upon sensing danger, Nana Krah II escaped and left behind the slaughtered sheep at his drinking spot.

The prosecutor noted that on June 19, 2013, the family head and the queenmother of Upper Dixcove held a meeting with the elders of the community during which the first accused person was destooled for selling stool lands indiscriminately without rendering accounts.

The first accused person was also destooled for taking unilateral decisions.

Nana Krah II was later arrested by the police after hiding for sometime.

The chief promised to refund the complainant’s money but failed to do so.

He was later re-arrested together with the second and third accused persons and they were put before the court after investigations.