Court remands machine operator for threatening to kill Chief of Himan

A thirty-nine-year-old machine operator alleged to have issued a voice note threat to kill the Divisional Chief of Himan Traditional Council has appeared before the Tarkwa circuit court.

Kwabena Ankemah, charged with threat of death, pleaded not guilty.

The court presided over by Madam Hathie Ama Manu, remanded Ankemah into prison custody to re-appear on May 4, 2023.
Superintendent of Police Juliana Essel-Dadzie, prosecuting, told the court that the complainant, Nana Nteboah Prah IV, is the Divisional Chief of Himan Traditional Council, while the accused is a staff of Sankofa Mining Company.
She said both reside at Himan-Prestea in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality of the Western Region.

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 person was arrested on the same day for questioning and a search conducted in his room led to the recovery of a brand-new hammer and a chisel.

She further informed the court that the audio recording has also been transcribed into a USB flash drive to serve as evidence in the case.

Prosecution said the accused person in his initial caution statement denied any knowledge of the audio but later confessed before an independent witness that he did the recording at a drinking spot in Ankobra a suburb of Prestea.