The forecourt of the Sege District Court was turned into a boxing arena on Monday morning when three suspects who were standing trial engaged some police personnel in a fight.

The suspects; Emmanuel Numo, Emmanuel Sarbah and Evans Osabutey and three other accomplices were in court for allegedly demolishing a property belonging to a neighbour in Hwakpo.

Listening to arguments for and against by the accused persons' counsel and the prosecutor, the court, presided over by His Lordship Narh Awah, ordered that the accused persons be arrested outside the courtroom after the hearing.

Immediately the hearing ended and the accused persons went out, a Community Police personnel dressed in a blue shirt over a black pair of trousers, moved to arrest one of the accused persons, but he resisted, asking the personnel not to touch him.

On hearing that, Corporal B. Adu who was driving the Sege Police Patrol Nissan Hardbody vehicle with registration number GP 499, and another uniformed police personnel rushed to protect the Community Police Assistant, whose wrist was struck by one of the accused persons in a white polo shirt.

Other accused people emerged from the crowd and overwhelmed the two unarmed police personnel.

CID Nashiru Naazah, spotting the incident, dashed to the scene to help Corporal Adu but in his attempt to save his colleague, one of the accused landed a hefty blow to his back. 

The police were peeved by the attack on them by the accused persons and that resulted in some pound-for-pound exchanges.

The police eventually overpowered Emmanuel Numo, Emmanuel Sarbah and Evans Osabutey, handcuffed them and threw them into a cell.

Alex Puplampu, Daily Agorvor and George Dagojo were the other accomplices in court for the illegal demolition at Hwakpo.

Meanwhile, some 13 other persons are at large.

 Background

On August 31, 2021, the West Ada District Police Commander led personnel to arrest Isaac Adi Buertey Puplampu, self-styled chief of Hwakpo, for leading some thugs to illegally raze a native's property.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) George Aboagye trailed the suspect to the Ada Traditional Council, where he had appeared before a three-member committee on a chieftaincy dispute.

Immediately proceedings commenced, a female CID, holding handcuffs, entered the traditional courtroom to seek an audience to pick Isaac Adi Buertey for allegedly mobilising some young men to destroy the building of his rival, the Ackwehs, who is challenging his legitimacy as the chief of Hwakpo, at the Traditional Council.

But after a brief tête-à-tête between the CID and the Council's Registrar outside the room, the CID, in the company of three police personnel and DSP Aboagye, the Commander, waited outside with bated breath for the hearing to close to pounce on the suspect, who, the police said had ignored their invitations to him since his alleged action on August 29, 2021.

Then, as soon as the Traditional Council adjourned the hearing and awarded GHC1,500 cost against the Ackwerhs, the complainants, to go and amend their plea, DSP Aboagye and his men dashed to grab Isaac Adi Buertey Puplampu outside.

Though Adi Buertey's counsel pleaded to hand him to the police, therefore, requesting DSP Aboagye to go ahead of them to the police station, the District Police Commander declined that.

As soon as the police arrived at the Sege District Police Headquarters with the suspect, they threw him behind the counter, where some cell inmates were heard welcoming Isaac Adi Buertey.

Interrogating him before his counsel on the illegal demolition of the structure at Hwakpo without a court order, Isaac Adi Buertey Puplampu told DSP Aboagye that he ordered only two of his boys to carry out the unlawful exercise.

Although, his counsel pleaded for bail for his client, DSP Aboagye insisted that Isaac Adi Buertey Puplampu mentioned the names and locations of the two boys he admitted instructing to destroy the building without a court order.

After hours of a failed request, Isaac Adi Buertey Puplampu's counsel held a brief standing meeting with the supporters of his client on the forecourt of the police station, then he entered his Toyota Highlander vehicle and drove off.

After taking the suspect's statement, the East Ada Divisional Commander ordered the receipt of the docket while the suspect was kept in police custody.

The police later granted the main suspect, in this case, the self-styled chief, a police enquiry bail while investigations continued.

The investigation and video evidence at their disposal led the police to pick up the six suspects who appeared in court on Monday when three resisted arrest by fighting the police in front of the court building.