Nkusukum Gyaasehene Remanded for Fatal Shooting of 52-Year-Old Man
In a significant development, Eric Ato Appiah Mends, a 45-year-old serving as the Acting Gyaasehene of the Nkusukum Traditional Area in the Mfantseman Municipality, has been remanded in police custody by the Cape Coast District Court One.
Known by his stool name Nana Beeyin II, Mends was involved in a tragic incident during the Odambia Festival on Friday, October 25. Reports indicate that Mends shot and killed 52-year-old Kwesi Melchoir following a heated altercation.
According to Citi News, the confrontation is believed to have been sparked by an ongoing chieftaincy dispute. During the court proceedings, presided over by Her Worship Anita Sheila Crabb, Mends was formally charged with murder.
He has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to reappear in court on November 11, 2024.
Abusuapanyin Solomon Ato Budu-Hagan, the family head of the Nkusukum Amansea Twidan royal house, expressed profound shock over the incident.
Recalling the events that led to the altercation, Budu-Hagan highlighted the tensions within the Nkusukum Traditional Council over chieftaincy issues.
On the first day of the Odambia Festival, a disagreement arose when one faction wanted to slaughter a cow, a move opposed by the other faction. Despite multiple cautions, the dispute escalated, culminating in the fatal shooting.
Budu-Hagan urged the court to expedite the judicial process to ensure that justice is served swiftly. The incident has cast a shadow over the festival and brought to light the deep-rooted chieftaincy conflicts within the traditional council, prompting calls for reconciliation and peace.