Prophet, 3 others in court for attempted murder, causing harm

A self-styled prophet and three other men, said to have inflicted multiple cutlass wounds on a driver, mutilated his genitals, hit him with rods and clubs and then tied him to a vehicle which was driven for well over 500 metres with his body dragging on the tarred road have been arraigned at the Ho District Magistrate Court.

The accused persons are Abraham Kwami Atidama, 30, an auto-electrician; Francis Atsu Adzasu, 24; auto-electrician; Patrick Agbeshie, 39, auto-mechanic; and Johnson Togoe, 49, auto-mechanic and prophet.

They were arraigned before the court on Thursday (Nov 21, 2024), charged with causing harm and attempted to murder.

Their pleas were not taken.

Police Sergeant Kwadwo Otibu-Gyan, told the court presided over by Albert Anno-Owusu that the incident took place on August 11, 2024 along the road between Ho and Adaklu- Kodzobi.

The prosecution said the accused persons finally dumped their victim in a nearby bush.

Miraculously, however, the victim (name withheld) survived the ordeal, the court heard.

The prosecution said the victim, who was a driver, was returning from Ho to Adaklu-Kodzobi at about 1:00 am on a motorbike when he had a flat tyre.

He then managed to push the bike to the nearest mechanic workshop where the accused persons, except the prophet worked, hoping to have the fault repaired, the court heard.

On reaching the workshop, however, the first accused emerged from nowhere with a cutlass and slashed the forehead of the victim, whose loud cry attracted some people to the scene, said the prosecution. 

As if that was not enough, the first accused then shouted “thief, thief,” before he was joined by the other accused persons to subject the victim to more physical torture with metal rods, cutlasses and other implements.

Not satisfied, the prosecution said, the accused persons then tied both legs and arms of their victim before tying him to the rear of their Mazda vehicle, with registration number, GT 2408-Q, which was driven by the third accused from the Ho GETFund Hostel to SSNIT Flats Junction, during which the victim screamed in agony before finally falling unconscious.

It was there that the third accused threw the victim into the bush.

The court heard that the victim’s forehead, buttocks, cheeks, chest, arms legs and genitals were terribly maimed during the horrific ordeal he suffered at the hands of the accused persons.

Later, some compassionate members of the public rushed the victim, who was bleeding profusely, to the Ho Teaching Hospital.

The prosecution said the accused persons were arrested in an operation on November 14 and November 15, 2024.

The court was told the accused persons admitted the offences in their police caution statements.

They have since been remanded in prison custody and the case has been adjourned to December 12, 2024.