ELEVEN ARRAINGED FOR RIOTING IN BEREKUM (BACK PAGE)

ELEVEN people have been arraigned before the Sunyani Circuit Court for their alleged involvement in the violent clashes between supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Berekum on September 21, 2008, which resulted in six persons being injured.
They were charged with four counts of rioting with offensive weapons, causing unlawful damage, assault and causing harm.
The accused are Rashid Ahmed, alias Shine; Yaw Owusu; Muda Dramani, alias C.I.A.; Ransford Osei, alias Otaamu; Norbert, alias Sobojo; Richard Osei Bawuah; Muller Omar; Azigiza; Musah (at large); Awudu Seidu, alias Seidu Rasta; Kwasi Asoma and Emmanuel Erskine.
The court, presided over by Mr Kwame Ohene-Essel, granted bail to the accused in the sum of GH¢5,000 with one surety each to reappear on Monday, October 20, 2008. They are to report themselves to the police at 9:00 a.m. every Monday and Friday until the adjourned date.
The bail was necessitated by an application by their counsel, Mr Williwise Kyeremeh, that some prominent people of Berekum had offered to mediate and amicably settle the case out of court.
Before granting bail, Mr Ohene-Essel warned that he had the discretion to revoke the bail term and remand the accused in custody if they engaged in any further violent behaviour while on bail.
Presenting the facts of the case at the crowded court, Police Chief Inspector Kingsley Baafi stated that on September 21, 2008, the police granted a permit to the NPP executive in Berekum to inaugurate the youth wing of the party in the constituency.
He said at the end of the ceremony at 5:30 p.m., the NPP supporters decided to go on a procession through the principal streets of the town and finally converged on the main Berekum Roundabout, near the post office.
According to the prosecutor, about the same time information reached the police to provide protection for the NPP group because some NDC supporters were at another function at Senase and Biadan, both suburbs of Berekum.
He said based on that information, the police, under Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Charles Ampem Koosono, who is also in charge of the Berekum municipality, took cover at a junction near the Berekum Hospital where the NDC supporters were likely to pass on their return to Berekum.
Chief Inspector Baafi indicated that a few minutes later, the police saw some of the NDC supporters on bicycles and motorbikes entering Berekum from Biadan. The police quickly stopped them to redirect their route through the police station area to enter the town.
He said the police took that decision because if the NDC supporters used the roundabout route they would encounter the NPP supporters and that would result in a clash. However, he said the NDC supporters disobeyed the order by the police and insisted that they would use the roundabout route.
Chief Inspector Baafi further alleged that the NDC supporters started throwing stones and other missiles, an action which provoked the NPP supporters to retaliate. In the process, a stone from the NDC direction hit the Municipal Police Commander.
The prosecutor told the court that later in their investigations the police identified the accused persons who had actively taken part in the violence and they were accordingly charged with the offences.