A Sunyani Magistrate Court yesterday refused bail for the release of the detained NDC stalwart, Kwasi Adu, who is alleged to have murdered an evangelist about four months ago at Sankore in the Asunafo South District of the Brong Ahafo Region.
Kwasi Adu, 22, and his accomplice, Kwabana Noah, now at large, have been charged for conspiracy and murder. He made his third appearance in court yesterday, after his arrest a the Sakumono residence of the Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Eric Opoku on August 28, after the police mounted a manhunt for his arrest.
He was again remanded into prison custody to re-appear on October 16. Council for the alleged Killer, Alex Amponsah, prayed the court to grant bail to the accused, saying that the facts of the case do not support the charges that have been preferred against his client. However, the court insisted that there was merit in the charges and could therefore not grant the bail application. It would be recalled that on July 19, 2009, some thugs of the ruling National Democratic Party went on rampage at Sankore and brutalized their political opponents.
In the process, a 40-year-old evangelist of the Deeper Life Christian Ministry, Kwame Nyame, was shot dead at close range by a gun-wielding young man, believed to be the accused. The well-built party enthusiast later fled the area after committing the atrocity against his fellow human being and found refuge in the bedroom of the deputy regional minister, who happens to the failed NDC parliamentary candidate for the area in the last elections.
Following this development, opinion leaders in the area have called on the Mills administration to relieve Eric Opoku of his post for �habouring� a suspected criminal at his residence. The call for the deputy minister�s removal has also been triggered by the recent political harassment of the members of the opposition New Patriotic Party, who have suffered arbitrary arrest and brutalities at the hand of security personnel detailed at Sankore.
The respected elders have cited conflict of interest as the reason for their call and do believe that this removal could help restore peace and security to the hitherto peace community. Meanwhile, the victim of the shooting incident, Kwame Nyame, was buried at Sankore last Saturday. The mammoth funeral was attended by the rank and file of the NPP and some party gurus.
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