The Tamale High Court, on Tuesday, 28 May 2019, remanded the Assemblyman for the Naja Electoral Area, Blayari John Ujun, who was arrested in connection with the ongoing ethnic violence in the troubled Chereponi District of the North East Region.
The Assemblyman has been charged for obstructing the police and military officers in the performance of their duties.
The State Attorney, Salia Abdul Qudus told the presiding Judge, Justice Richard M. Kogyapwah, that police intelligence report gathered since the conflict erupted this year indicates that, the accused person is engaged in distributing firearms and ammunitions to his Konkomba kinsmen in the area.
He explained in court that anytime the security officers moved in, the accused person will relocate the firearms and ammunitions thereby fueling the conflict between the Konkombas and Chokosis. He prayed the court to remand the assemblyman into police custody and expedite the prosecution process for the suspect to face the full rigours of the law.
This, the defense counsel asked the court to decline with the explanation that the accused person is an assemblyman in the area whose an opinion leader and his place of abode is well known. The defense counsel added that the suspect is a law-abiding citizen, who has always advocated peace and has always held reconciliation meetings with the people to bring an end to the conflict.
But the Presiding Judge concluded that, giving the circumstances and the existent of the conflict, it will be inappropriate to grant the suspect bail. The suspect was therefore remanded to reappear on 11 June 2019.
Similarly, three other suspects who were arrested earlier in connection with the Chereponi clashes were also arraigned and charged with various counts of offenses. They were also remanded into police custody to also reappear on 11 June.
Source: Ghana/ClassFMonline.com
