News
5 elders fined GH₵12, 500 for interfering in chieftaincy affairs
The Sekondi High Court Two, on Wednesday imposed a total fine of GH₵12,500 on five elders for interfering in chieftaincy affairs of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Royal Family, in the Effia-Kwesimintsim municipality of the Western Region.
The convicts, Ebusua Kyeame Ekow Tawiah, Maame Yaaba, Joseph Nyantakyi, John Arhin and Mena Nsia, who are not members of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Royal Family, would in default, serve a three-month jail term.
Their counsel, Mr John Mercer, pleaded with presiding High Court judge, Justice Mrs Hannah Taylor, to temper justice with mercy since the elders had regretted their action.
The five, were summoned before the court in 2017 for installing a new chief, disregarding the decision of the Judicial Committee of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, barring the elders from any such actions, in the affairs of the Effia stool, on Thursday, April 28, 1974.
The Judicial Committee, included Awulae Kwesi Amakyi III, chairman, Nana Hima Dekyi XIII and Nana Kofi Adianka IV, members with A. P. Pepra, as counsel.
In 1974, a judgement from Western Regional House of Chiefs, specified that the five convicts were not members of the Effia Royal Family, and, therefore, could not install a chief.
The Judicial Committee ruled that the two separate stools of Effia and Mpintsin could not succeed each other in any way, any attempt by a member of Mpintsin branch to occupy the stool was improper, and vice versa.
The Judicial Committee specified that the petitioner, Opanyin Kweku Walabai, whose descendants are the five elders, was from the Mpintsin lineage, and definitely not part of the Brempong Yaw Ntwaa Family at Effia.
It said Nana Brempong Yaw III and Nana Brempong Yaw 1V were of the Effia lineage of the Brempong Yaw Ntwaa Family and have, therefore, been properly enstooled on the Effia Stool.
However, the five elders defied the House of Chiefs’ ruling and in October, 2017, tried to install John Arhin, a tutor of Ahantaman Senior High School, as a chief, while Nana Brempong Yaw V, was still the occupant of the stool at Effia and of the Brempong Yaw Ntwea Family.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, SEKONDI
Ahyiresu and Abofrem, two quiet communities in the Atwima Mponua District, have been shaken to the core by a chilling midnight drama that reads like a nightmare.
A pastor and a young mother stand accused of attempting to bury a five‑month‑old baby girl alive, a crime that has ignited outrage and disbelief across the township.
According to police, Apostle Richmond Akwasi Frimpong, 36, Head Pastor of the Anointed Grace Prayer Ministry at Kuffour Camp, conspired with his uncle Emmanuel Appiah, 53, and the child’s mother, 23‑year‑old Beatrice Agyapomaa, to dispose of the infant, Anaya Achiaa, under the cover of darkness.
A fourth suspect, Emmanuel Donkor, remains on the run.
The suspects were caught near a refuse dump around 10 pm on April 9, 2026, after a vigilant resident, Akwasi Twezor, noticed their suspicious movements.
When confronted, they claimed the child was already dead and had palace approval for burial. But Twezor’s instincts proved right—the baby was still alive, gasping faintly for breath.
Chief Linguist, Nana Yaw Badu, later confirmed that Frimpong had misled him earlier in the evening, securing permission for burial by falsely declaring the child dead.
The infant was rushed to the Abofrem Clinic, where she is now responding well to treatment. Police described her as “very beautiful.”
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evelyn Yitamkey, Commander of DOVVSU in Bibiani, confirmed that the suspects have been provisionally charged.
Frimpong faces attempted murder and conspiracy charges, while Agyapomaa and Appiah are charged with conspiracy and abetment.
They were remanded by the Bibiani Circuit Court, presided over by Judge Frank Asiedu Nimako, to assist investigations.
The docket has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Department for advice, ASP Yitamkey indicated.
The attempted crime has provoked fury among residents, many suspecting ritual motives aimed at bolstering the pastor’s influence.
Crowds attempted to attack the suspects outside court, but police intervention prevented mob justice.
The Assembly Member for Ahyiresu, Yusuf Suleiman, has assured residents that justice will be pursued swiftly.
From Kingsley E. Hope, Kumasi
The forecourt of the African University of Communications and Business (AUCB) in Accra came alive on Friday with colour, creativity and innovation, as Level 300 students transformed the space into a lively exhibition of ideas.
Under the theme “Building meaningful brands beyond the logo,” the students invited patrons into a world where ordinary products were reimagined through storytelling, design and purpose.
From scented candles to innovative food concepts, each stand told a unique story, one that went beyond aesthetics to capture identity, value and human connection.
For many of the students, the event was more than just an academic exercise; it was a moment to dream out loud.
Guided by their lecturer, Peter Wonders, they explored what it truly means to build a brand in today’s competitive world where trust, consistency and experience matter just as much as logos and slogans.
Chairman of the occasion, Nana Kum Gyata VI, in his remarks said a brand is what people say about you when you are not present.
At the end of the presentations, awards were presented to deserving groups with Vida Nyaneba emerging as the overall best branding student.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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