TWENTY-THREE persons including some chiefs arrested in connection with the attack on the Ada Police and Electrochem Company Ltd, the company mining the Songhor Salt in the Ada West of the Greater Accra Region have been slapped with six charges to appear before court.
The suspects including Nene Dadebom Anim II, Chief of Salom and Nene Ayornu, Chief Priest of Korle have been charged with three counts, namely, Conspiracy to commit crime to rioting contrary to section 23 Act (1) 198 of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act 29).
The remaining charges were Rioting contrary to section 199 of criminal offences act 1960 (Act 29), forcibly entering contrary to section 202A (1) of the Criminal Offences Act 1960 (Act29), Assault contrary to section 84 of the criminal offences act 1960 (Act29), causing unlawful damage contrary to section 172 of the Criminal offences act 1960 (29) and threat of death contrary to section 75 of the criminal offences act.
Already, some eight persons are standing trial in connection with previous attack on the company.
They were charged with conspiracy, aiding and abetting, assault a public officer when they appeared before the Tema District Court where three of the accused persons were acquited and discharged.
According to facts of the case, the complainants who happen to be police officer under the Ada Divisional Police Command and staff of the salt mining company at Songhor.
It would be recalled that government allocated the Songhor salt concession to Electrochem Company Ltd to mine salt in commercial quantity in 2020.
However, some youth of Toflokpo, Salom, Bonikope led by their chiefs, Nene Mailo Dedebom, Nene Dedebom Anim II and Nene Kwesi Dame Bone kicked against the operation of the company immediately the company moved to the site.
On August 9, 2021, the chiefs led the youth mentioned in the charge sheet and some youth in the community to riot, forcibly entered into the concession of the company to assault workers and caused unlawful damage to structures occupied by the workers and also set fire into the structures and chased the workers away.
Police were informed and a team of police team were dispatched to the company to calm the situation but they were met by fierce resistence from the aggrieved accused persons. A team of reinforcement was dispatched to the scene where they met the accused persons rioting and causing destruction to properties of the company.
The accused persons were subsequently arrested and during the arrest that suspect Elias Anim threatened to kill Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) George Aboagye, Commander of the Sege District Police Command who led the team to the place.
The accused persons are expected to appear before court.
From Vincent Kubi, Ada