A 39-year-old machine operator who allegedly threatened to assassinate the Divisional Chief of the Himan Traditional Council in a voice message has appeared before the Tarkwa circuit court. Kwabena Ankemah, who was accused of threatening death, entered a not guilty plea. Ankemah was remanded into detention and ordered to appear in court again on May 4, 2023 by the court presided over by Madam Hathie Ama Manu.
The complainant, Nana Nteboah Prah IV, is the Divisional Chief of the Himan Traditional Council, according to the prosecutor, Superintendent of Police Juliana Essel-Dadzie, while the accused is a member of the Sankofa Mining Company employees. She said that they both live in Himan-Prestea, a municipality in the Western Region’s Prestea Huni-Valley.
On March 28, 2023, at about 16:19 hours, the complainant received a voice note on his mobile phone through whatsApp’s from the accused person threatening to behead him with a cutlass anywhere he met him. According to the prosecutor, Ankemah in the said audio reiterated that he meant every word and would not relent on his intended actions, stressed that, he was not scared of being arrested by the police and whoever cared could inform the complainant about his intentions. Superintendent Essel-Dadzie said the complainant, after listening to the audio, became alarmed and reported the case to the police in Prestea on March 30, 2023, for investigation.
The accused was taken into custody the same day to be questioned, and a check of his room turned up a brand-new hammer and chisel. She also let the court know that the audio recording had been converted into a USB flash drive so it could be used as evidence. The accused, according to the prosecution, initially denied knowledge of the tape in his caution statement but then admitted to making the recording in a bar in the Prestea area of Ankobra in front of a third party.
