ELEVEN ON BAIL FOR ASSAULT (PAGE 31)

A Tema circuit court has granted bail to 11 members of the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) task force with one surety to appear again on December 11, 2008 for allegedly assaulting two journalists.
The bail terms of GH¢220,000 was granted by the Tema Circuit Court ‘A’.
The 11 were remanded in police custody when they first appeared before the court, presided over by Mrs Justice Lorinda Owusu, on November 13, 2008 on charges of assault and causing damage.
The accused persons are Ex WO 1 Joseph Owusu, Stephen Eshun, Alfred Nana Ampadu, Francis Adjei, Charles Dougan, Isaac Duncan, Razak Mamudu, Abraham Adamani, Samuel Osei, Andrew Ackon and Roy Mereku.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them and were represented by their counsel, Mrs Brendalyn Aikings, while the legal counsel of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mrs Cecilia Davis, represented the journalists, Mark Anthony Vinorkor and Samuel Tei Adano.
According to the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Adolf Otchere, on October 22, 2008, the accused persons were spotted by the journalists demolishing some unauthorised wooden structures in the vicinity of the Narh Bita Hospital.
He said they decided to take pictures in view of public complaints about the increases in unauthorised structures in the metropolis.
Chief Inspector Otchere said the 11 men did not take kindly to that and confronted Adano, the photographer.
In the ensuing confrontation, they forcibly seized a new Nikon D40 digital camera which he had bought barely a week before the incident from him .
He said when Vinorkor, the reporter, went to Adano’s aid, the men assaulted them, leading to the loss of a pair of medicated spectacles, camera lens cover, an extra battery and GH¢20.
Chief Inspector Otchere said the two journalists were issued with medical forms for a medical check up as a result of the assault.
Meanwhile, the Tema Mantse, Nii Adjei Kraku II, has informed counsel for the GCGL, Mrs Davis, of his intention to intervene and settle the case out of court.
He said in his capacity as the stool father of Tema , he had put in an application to be considered by the court.
The Managing Director of TDC, Ms Mansa Banson, rendered a verbal apology to the complainants, which is to be followed later with a written apology.
She consented to the intention of the Tema Mantse and promised that TDC would replace the lost items and adequately compensate the complainants.
Mrs Davis said she would convey the intentions to the management and the affected journalists, while they waited for the letter.