E/R: Fishermen drown suspected thief in Volta lake

The Asesewa District Police Command in the Eastern Region have arrested two (2) out of six (6) fishermen for allegedly drowning a suspected fishing net thief in the Volta Lake. The suspects arrested are Teye Joseph, 43, and Kwaku Narh, 38.

Other accomplices now on the run are Gatorgbor, Kennedy, Shortee and Kwasi Pepe. The incident occurred at Kwabea Teye a fishing community near Asesewa which is notorious for these acts of injustice.

Information indicates that, the fishermen arrested the victim -Yidekpo Nyanvor, 22, a resident from Asikoko also a fishing community in the enclave for allegedly stealing their fishing net.

They immediately tied him with a rope and marched him to Asikoko community to one Edzo’s House which he reportedly claimed the net was kept but turned out to be false.

Sensing danger for the victim’s life, an opinion leader who is also a Chief Fisherman in Asikoko Community requested the mob to hand over the victim to him until his parents who were not at home return for the matter to be settled amicably.

However, the fishermen refused and rather ferried the suspect on a local boat to the deep side of the Volta lake. An eyewitness told the local Police that, he saw the fishermen subject the victim to inhumane treatment, tied him with a cement block and cast him into the lake.

Upon return of the victims’ parents, they went to Kwabea Community to ask of the whereabouts of the victim but he could not be found. They reported the case to the Assesewa Police and upon investigations, the two suspects were arrested but four other accomplices managed to escape before the arrival of the Police.

The suspects told Police in their caution statements that the victim escaped and dived into the lake, however, hours of search by police with the assistance of local divers did not yield results.

The two suspects – Teye Joseph and Kwaku Narh provisionally charged with conspiracy to commit a crime to wit kidnapping and Kidnaping were put before Koforidua District Court ‘A’ on Thursday, May 28, 2020.

The Prosecutor Sergeant George Defia prayed the Court to remand the suspects to enable Police to conduct further investigations. The Magistrate, therefore, remanded the suspects into Prison Custody and adjourned the case to June 11, 2020. The court also issued a bench warrant on the four accomplices at large.