Two men suspected to have sold fake cocoa insecticides to farmers in the Ashanti Region have been arrested and handed over to police. Angry residents of some communities in the Atwima Nwabiagya District arrested and attempted to lynch Yaw Obeng and Kwame Felix, but a timely intervention by the police saved them. They were whisked away after being held at the chief’s palace for hours at Barekuma at the weekend. Also arrested is an accomplice who showed up to re-imburse farmers who had fallen victims to nefarious activities of the two. Some of the farmers had bought the chemicals sold in bottles in large quantities, some on credit between 5 Ghana cedis 10 Ghana cedis. They became suspicious about the efficacy of the chemicals after applying them for months without results. The aggrieved farmers charged on Felix and Obeng when they visited Barekuma on Friday morning. It first took the swift intervention of the local Town Development Committee chairman, Mr. Gyawu Minkah and Secretary, Sylvester Owusu-Mensah to save them from being lynched. They locked them at the chief palace. The suspects told journalists the D1 Cocoa Insecticide is produced at Bomfa-Achiase in the Asante Akim South District, the label indicates it is produced and distributed by one Nana Agyei of Tema Community 10. It also bears the Ghana Standard Boards logo though it is not approved by the board. According to them, they had sold many bottles of the substance in the Western, Ashanti and Eastern Regions. The suspects pleaded for leniency because their leader had been arrested five months earlier. One of the victims of the scam, Opanin Akwasi Mensah, bought a pack of the fake chemicals containing 30 bottles. According to him, the two told to him they were offering for sale products distributed by one Wofa Yaw Asubonteng who has been advertising them on radio. But he was not convinced about the genuineness of their claim after using those chemicals. When he later inquired from Wofa Asubonteng in Kumasi, the D1 Cocoa Insecticide proved otherwise but the two later pleaded for leniency after admitting they were fake when they visited Barekuma on the second time for the full payment of the chemicals. Regent of Barekuma, Nana Kwasi Tabiri, commended the Suame Police for their timely response and intervention. According to him, had it not been police intervention, the two suspects would have been lynched by the farmers. The Adankwame police according to him had earlier refused to rescue the two from the aggrieved farmers because it lacked personnel. Police have started investigations into the activities of the two suspects. Story by: Ohemeng Tawiah, Nhyira Fm/Kumasi-Ghana