The Bolgatanga Magistrate court, on Thursday 28th June, granted the Chief of Pelungu, Naab Sierig Sore Sobil IV bail, a Ghc10,000 with two sureties after charges of conspiracy to commit murder in the killing of a 67-year-old Yenboka Kenna.
Yenboka Kenna, a mother of four, was accused of being a witch and was subsequently lynched on 29th of May, at the Pelungu market in the Nabdam District of the Upper East Region.
[contextly_sidebar id=”5Peev5K49PGHRvMwpdT3JsNt8vaJ9LXA”]Five suspects, namely Gbambil Sore, Kofi Pale, Mba Sore, Timbila Sore and Samuel Sore, were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder.
The suspects were arraigned before the Bolgatanga magistrate court on the 13th of June 2017, but Gbambil sore was granted bail by the Bolga high court on health grounds, while the four were remanded. But the chief, Naab Sore, who was also a suspect at the time was attending a programme in Geneva Switzerland, and thus could not appear in court.
Upon arrival from Geneva, Naab Sore was arraigned before the Bolga magistrate court together with the five other suspects on the second hearing of the case.
Counsel for Naab Sore, Rockson Akugri, argued that, where the deceased was lynched was far beyond the chief’s palace and thus the chief could not detect the lynching of the deceased nor be part of the murder.
He added that, Naab Sore is innocent until evidence adduced sufficiently and proven beyond reasonable doubt says otherwise. He thus prayed the court to bail his client.
The Magistrate court presided over by His Worship Osman Abdul-Hakin, granted Naab Sore bail of GHC10,000.00 with two sureties.
However Gbambil Sore continues to serve his bail granted by the Bolga high court while the remaining four accused suspects remain in police custody.
The case has thus been adjourned to 12th July 2017.
Brief facts of the case
According to the prosecutor, Inspector Gilbert Boteng Addea, “The deceased, Yenboka Kenna, a widow of four children on Sunday 28th May, 2017, closed from Church and went to the Pelungu market to transact business at a shed where she plaits hair for living; but around 5:00pm, she was accused of being a witch, and was escorted to the Pelungu chief’s palace where she was interrogated by the chief and his elders.”
He added that, “in the course of interrogation, words went around the village and attracted a huge crowd at the chief’s palace, so two brothers of the deceased were informed about the incident and reported at the chief’s palace.
The chief interrogated the deceased for over 4 hours, and asked the brothers of the deceased to take her home; but they pleaded with the chief to allow the deceased pass the night at the palace because of the behavior of the irate crowd, who were bent on attacking the deceased.”
But the chief said his palace was not a witch camp, and thus released the deceased to her brothers to take her home.
But they were confronted by the irate crowd, and could not save the deceased. The woman was found dead the following day with multiple injuries on the head and deep cuts on both legs.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana