An Accra Circuit Court has remanded into police custody a defeated parliamentary candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Subin Constituency of the Ashanti Region, Villey Acheampong.
He has been charged with threat of death by police after he was said to have attacked a man wielding a pistol and he has since been remanded.
The businessman pleaded not guilty to two charges of “discharging gun in town” and “threat of death by the court presided over by Susana Eduful.
Though his lawyers raised concerns about his I’ll-health, the court found it reasonable to remand him for two weeks upon the request of the prosecution.
Acheampong is said to be also facing separate charges including defrauding by false pretense pending in the same court over some six-bedroom apartment.
Facts of the case as presented by the Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evans Kesse were that the complainant is a businessman and resides at Greda Estate, Teshie whiles the accused person is also a businessman and a resident of Baatsona.
For some time now, the prosecutor stated that complainant and the accused person are contending over the ownership of a six-bedroom uncompleted building located at Baatsona and the case is pending before the same court.
On May 29, 2022, complainant and a witness, in this case, visited the said building site and met the accused person and without any provocation, the accused pulled a pistol at the complainant and threatened to kill him, according to prosecutor.
He mentioned that the accused fired two warning shots in the presence of witnesses and that, both parties rushed to the police station and reported the case, saying that
“Investigation conducted at the scene and interview with witnesses confirmed that the accused threatened to kill the complainant with a pistol after firing two warning shots”.
“Investigation led to the retrieval of 40mm Caliber pistol marked SMITH WESSON – HTU 5617-AA4/9034/16 with 9 rounds of ammunition from the accused person.”
ASP Kesse further stated that the accused was arrested but denied the action in his cautioned statement to police but after investigation, he was charged with the offences to appear before the court where he has been remanded.
By Vincent Kubi