Alleged Okyeman Taskforce get bail after the attack on sand winners
A search conducted in a Jeep vehicle belonging to Nana Barfuor Sarpong who claimed to be National Security Operative detected one Ak47 assault rifle, one pistol and three(3) spent shells which were retrieved by the Police.
Joana Somiah 
The Koforidua Circuit Court has admitted five(5) accused persons including an Akyem Abuakwa chief who claims to be a National Security Operative to bail in the sum of GHC200,000 cedis with 2 sureties.
The five (5) accused persons who were alleged to have paraded themselves as Okyeman Taskforce are Nana Barfuor Sarpong, Nana Barima Twum Tarbiade II, both sub-chiefs in Akyem Abuakwa.
The following persons, who were also part of the crime, but currently at large are Jonathan Martey, Eric Yaw Obeng, Victor Ahenkora Koranteng and two others.
They were, however, arraigned before the court on Friday, June 19, 2021, with the following Seven Charges; conspiracy to commit a crime with kidnapping, causing unlawful harm, stealing, conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, possession of firearm and ammunition.
Prosecution Sheet
The Prosecuting Officer, Cyril Boateng Keteku, Assistant State Attorney explained to the court, that the first complainant, in this case, Osae Kwame, 59, is a farmer, while the second complainant, Alhassan Zakari, 39, is also a farmer.
The third complainant, Samuel Astu Forson, is Chief of Adeiso, also Executive Officer of Summertide sand winning Company.
He stated, that the accused persons are Nana Baffuor Sarpong, who claimed to be National Security Personnel attached to Forestry Commission as training Coordinator, and timber monitoring officer.
The second accused person Nana Barima Twum Tabirade claimed to be the boundary Chief of all Akyem lands. The third accused person Jonathan Martey is a driver to Nana Barfuor, the fourth accused person, Eric Yaw Obeng, claimed to be an aide to Nana Barfuor, while the fifth accused person Victor Ahenkora Koranteng claimed, to be Immigration Officer.
The other accused persons are at large, according to the prosecutor.
On June 15, 2021, at about 2:00 pm, the first complainant Osae Kwame was returning from his farm to Adeiso town to buy food for his farm labourers but met the accused persons who were in a convoy of three pick-up vehicles and a Jeep vehicle with registration number GS 9835-19, stopped by him, handcuffed and abducted him into one of the Pick-Up vehicles and drove him to Tank Akuraa a farming community near Adeiso.
Police upon receipt of distress calls about the incident rushed to the village and rescued him but the accused persons sped off from the scene and invaded the sand winning site of Summertide Company at Obeng Yaw village also near Adeiso amidst sporadic firing of gunshots.
The second complainant Alhassan Zakari was shot on the left leg during the indiscriminate firing of gunshots.
They violently arrested five(5) persons at the site, whisked them into their vehicles and drove away to an unknown location.
The owner of the site alleged he later detected that the accused persons stole Ghc96,000 at the site during the gun violence.
The five persons arrested by the accused persons were later rescued by Kyebi Police after the wireless message was activated by police.
At about 4:20 pm, the accused persons were arrested by the Adeiso Police.
A search conducted in a Jeep vehicle belonging to Nana Barfuor Sarpong who claimed to be National Security Operative detected one Ak47 assault rifle, one pistol and three(3) spent shells which were retrieved by the Police.
William Ofori Akwaboa, Eastern Regional Correspondent
