A 39-year-old farmer accused of stealing 13 bags of rice belonging to a pastor whom he threatened to kill has been arraigned.

Kwabena Seidu, alias Agya Aboba, who is facing a charge of causing damage, theft and threat of death, has denied them.

He was, therefore, granted a GHC10,000.00 bail with two sureties to be justified.

The Pakyi District Court presided over by Madam Dora Nsiah Jackson ordered him to return to the Court on May 2, 2024.

Police Chief Inspector Christian Amartey told the Court that Pastor Akwasi Wusu, the complainant was also a farmer resident at Kemenkyire.

He said Seidu, the accused person and a farmer, resided at Pakyi No 2.

Chief Inspector Amartey said the  complainant and the accused persons were brothers farming on a family land at Camp, a village near Pakyi No 2.

The prosecution said the complainant in October 2023 allocated a portion of the family land he farmed on to a witness in the town called Kadiya Halidu to cultivate rice for them to share.

The Court heard that the witness did cultivate the rice, harvested the paddy rice after the cultivation and packed same into sacks.

Chief Inspector Amartey said the complainant on January 19, 2024, at about 1100 hours, went to the farm to take his share of the paddy rice only for the accused to arrive at the farm to prevent complainant from taking his share of the paddy rice.

The complainant called in a tricycle rider to come and convey the sacks of the paddy rice for him, but he was prevented by the accused from doing so and in the process, he used a cutlass he was armed with to tear the sack and the rice poured.

The prosecution said the accused then dared the complainant that he would kill him if he tried conveying the sacks of paddy rice away.

He said for fear of his life, the complainant left the farm to the Pakyi No.2 Police station to lodge a complaint.

The accused then conveyed the thirteen (13) sacks of the paddy rice away to an unknown location, the Court was told.

Chief Inspector Amartey said that led to the arrest of Seidu and in his cautioned statement he denied causing damage to the paddy rice and threat of death charges but admitted conveying the sacks of the paddy rice.

He claimed that portion of the land belonged to him and that he hired a farmer to cultivate the rice.

After investigations the accused was charged with the offences and put before court.