Sekondi High Court issues bench warrant for the arrest of chief

The Sekondi High Court presided over by Her Lordship Dr. Bridget Antonio, has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Nana Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III, over alleged fraud.

The warrant which was issued on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, is seeking to arrest the self-claiming paramount chief of the Aowin traditional area, following an alleged fraud scandal charges against him.

The issuance of the bench warrant follows his failure to appear before the court after a lawsuit was labelled against him by the Aowin Traditional Council at the Sekondi High Court in the Western Region to answer questions on the alleged fraud case, thus despite the court’s official invitation.

A warrant letter available and signed by the High Court judge, Her Lordship Dr. Bridget Antonio said, “Nana Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III is accused of offence of stealing contrary to section 124(1) of Act 29/60 and forgery contrary to section 158 of criminal offences Act 1960(Act 29).”

“You are hereby commanded in the name of the Republic of Ghana forthwith to apprehend the said Nana Beyeema T.K Benbuin III and produce him before the court at Sekondi.”

Meanwhile, a further report has revealed that Nana Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III has since been hiding from reaching, thus after the court issued a warrant for his arrest.

Speaking to this reporter, some members of the Aowin Traditional Council said, they dragged the ‘self-acclaimed Omanhene’ (as they refer to) to court over an unlawful disbursement of funds paid into the ADB account that he secretly opened and operated in the name of the traditional council.

They further disclosed that all monies coming to the Aowin Traditional Council were paid into this new ADB Bank account and were disbursed until April 2021 when auditors queried the use of the account as it had no authorization. The chief was subsequently dragged to court after this exposure

According to them, the ‘self-acclaimed paramount chief’ tag they give him stems from the fact that he was not officially installed or gazetted as paramount chief of the area.

Explaining the issue to this reporter, Nana Ketebu Kwame Nkansah who is the chairman of the Judicial Committee of the Aowin Traditional Council, said, the suspects included; Nana Beyeeman Tano Kwaw Benbuin III, ‘claiming himself as the Omanhene of the Aowin Traditional Area”, Francis Akesseh and Isaiah Quansah, Registrar and former Registrar of the Aowin Traditional Council respectively.

He further disclosed that the 1st suspect, after claiming himself as Omanhene of the Aowin Traditional Council in March 2019, requested to be made the sole signatory of the Traditional Council’s account with the GCB Bank, Enchi Branch to replace Nana Kojo Sikantia II, the acting president of Aowin Traditional Council who co-signed with the Registrar (Isaiah Quansah). His request could not be met because there was litigation surrounding his installation and he had not been duly gazetted as the Omanhene.

“Two weeks after his installation, the 1st suspect coerced the then Registrar (3rd suspect) to open another account in the name of the Traditional Council with the ADB Bank, Enchi Branch and made himself and the 3rd suspect the signatories to the said account after he had seized all the books of the Traditional Council and locked up offices.”

“Subsequently, all funds belonging to the Traditional Council were paid into the ADB account. Thereafter, all monies coming to the Aowin Traditional Council were paid into this new ADB Bank account and disbursed until April 2021 when Auditors queried the use of the account as it had no authorization,” he disclosed.