A Ho High Court yesterday remanded five members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in police custody for allegedly chasing out the Krachi West District Chief Executive (DCE), Douglas Osei-Nti, from office.

The five, who were arrested at about 3:30pm on Wednesday, May 29, 2019, were charged with unlawful entry, causing unlawful damage and rioting with weapons.

The accused persons, who are believed to be former constituency executives of the Krachi West NPP, are Sarfo Sunkwa, 40; Mathias Banyaolenso, 48; Tijani Shaibu, 36; Muntala Yakubu, 36 and Amos Nseikor Lante, 36.

The lawyer of the accused persons, Ernest Gaewu, prayed the court to grant them bail because most of them, who are opinion leaders in the area, only intervened to save the DCE from possible attack and molestation by the irate youth.
The court, presided over by Justice Eric Baah, refused to grant them bail and remanded them in police custody to assist in further investigations.

The court held that if the accused were truly not part of the agitating youth and for that matter only acted against the desires of the youth, then it was necessary for the accused to be kept safe by the state from the alleged lawless youth.

The prosecutor, Chief Superintendent Ayamga Yakubu Akologo, narrated that on Tuesday, May 28, 2019, the complainant, Mr Osei-Nti, reported that the accused persons forcibly entered his office at about 11:00am the same day.

The accused persons accosted, molested and harassed him without provocation.

The complainant further alleged that two of the accused persons collected his two mobile phones.

They then marched him out of the office into riotous group members of the party with machetes, stones, metals, sticks and other weapons.

The suspects then took the complainant to the police station where police intervened and rescued him.

The accused persons later sealed the office of the complainant with nails and wood and caused damage to the office building.  The accused persons are to reappear before the court on Tuesday, June 11, 2019.

Meanwhile, a press statement issued by the Director-General, ACP David Senanu Eklu to announce the arrest of the accused persons, cautioned the general public, especially the youth, to use lawful procedures to address their grievances.

It said any individual or groups of persons who engage in acts of lawlessness or criminality would be arrested, investigated and prosecuted.

The statement also assured the public that the police would adequately provide security for all citizens.