Eleven persons, including a spiritualist, arrested over alleged attack and robbery of the chief of Adansi-Dompoase in the Obuasi Municipality, have been remanded in prison custody by a Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by Mr. Emmanuel Amo-Yartey.
They were said to have broken into the palace of Nana Okofo Sobenekan the second, and made away with gold ornaments and other valuables costing about Ghc30,000.00.
Mallam Issah (the spiritualist), Yakubu, Nana Baffoe, Christopher, Nuhu Seidu, Stephen, Razak, Akwasi Appiah, Martin Baidoo, Ahmed Issah and Kwabena Gyimah, are facing 12 criminal charges, including conspiracy, robbery, threat of death, unlawful damage, assault and unlawful entry.
They have pleaded not guilty to the charges, and would make their next appearance in court on Friday, December 27.
State Attorneys Miss Cecilia Animah Pepprah and Nana Ama Danquaah Kessey, told the court that the offence was committed on December 3, at about 0500 hours.
According to the prosecution, there was a big bang on the main gate to the palace and when the personal assistant to the chief, Daniel Yaw Aboagye, rushed to find out what was happening, he was confronted by the accused persons who carried pistols, cutlasses, axes, pinch bars and pickaxes.
The prosecution said they instructed him to lead them to the chief�s room, but he refused, and they beat him up mercilessly for his defiance.
The State Attorneys said Mallam Issah, who had a pretty good knowledge of the palace, made it straight to the chief�s room followed by the others, where they ransacked and seized the items, amid threats to �finish him,�
The prosecution said the accused persons also held hostage members of the household - forcibly took away their mobile phones and dug the compound for a charm they claimed had been buried there by Nana Sobenekan for spiritual fortification.
Upon receiving information about the robbery, the police responded swiftly and managed to arrest them before they could flee, the prosecution added.
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