The Gyaasehene of the Apinto Divisional Council in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region, Dr. Nana Adarkwa Bediako III, who was reportedly kidnapped last Wednesday, has said it did not happen.
He told the police in Tarkwa during interrogation yesterday that “honestly I did not know who sent out the message that I was kidnapped.”
According to him, on July 15, 2021, he went to a bank for some money for the purchase of some musical instruments for the Church of Pentecost in the Tarkwa area.
The Gyaasehene said just beside the bank there is a musical instrument shop so after withdrawing the money, he decided to walk to the shop and left his car in front of the bank with his phones and keys in it.
The Gyaasehene told the police that as he was walking towards the shop, a gentleman rushed to him and told him that some people wanted to kill him.
He said he quickly took the next available taxi cab around to a place he refused to disclose, to hide there.
He said unfortunately, he could not call to inform anyone because his phones were in his vehicle and stressed again that he was not kidnapped.
Media Blitz
On Thursday evening, there was a media blitz that the Gyaasehene of Apinto had been kidnapped.
Later on Friday, the police said it had arrested a prime suspect who masterminded the alleged disappearance of the Gyaasehene.
The Gyaasehene who went ‘missing’ on Wednesday was ‘found’ and ‘reunited’ with his family on Thursday evening.
The prime suspect was then identified as an alleged illegal small scale miner or ‘galamsey operator’ whose name was given only as Kakra, and according to the police, he had earlier threatened that, he was going to kill the Gyaasehene within five days.
Some residents then claimed that Kakra issued the threat when he suspected that the Gyaasehene had become an impediment and not allowing him to do his galamsey business.
Following the supposed disappearance, the traditional authorities of the Apinto stool claimed they received a distress call from someone who indicated that, he had seen the official vehicle of the Gyaasehene at a place with his mobile phones and keys in it.
The traditional authorities quickly mounted a search in the area for the chief but to no avail, and so they sent the chief’s car to the police station.
Asafo Company
Prior to the ‘appearance’ of the Gyaasehene, the Asafo Warriors of the Apinto Tradional Area, numbering about 30 stormed the Tarkwa Divisional Police Station over the alleged kidnapping.
The warriors clad in red, then charged the police to hasten to rescue the chief because they claimed the police were downplaying the incident.
Later speaking to DAILY GUIDE, DSP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), confirmed that the chief has been ‘found’ and said the prime suspect in the case has been invited by the police for further investigations.
She said on July 15, 2021, at about 5pm, the Tarkwa Police Command received information from one Abusuapanin Kwesi Kom that the ‘missing’ chief was on his way to Tarkwa from Takoradi.
She said at about 5:50pm, the said Abusuapanin, accompanied by Nana Kojo Toku, the Akyeamehene of Apinto Divisional Council, Nana Adu Panyin, Tufohene of Apinto, Nana Abokye and Nana Fosu with some others brought the alleged ‘missing’ chief to the Tarkwa District Commander’s office.
She said the Divisional Police Commander, Tarkwa Divisional Crime Officer and some National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) officers were also present.
The Gyaasehene then told the police that he was not kidnapped.
The police also said that the alleged threats issued by Kakra on the life of the Gyaasehene will be investigated as well as fish out the person who had given the false information that the chief had been kidnapped.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Takoradi