A gun-wielding chief of Dumanafo, near Mampongteng, in Ashanti, caused a stir when he allegedly ran amok and opened fire on a 19-year-old teenager, whom he accused of insubordination.
The chief, Nana Owusu Kwarteng, had invited the teenager, Loveline Antwi, to his palace following a fight, but he declined the invitation, resulting in the confusion and tragedy.
Nana Owusu Kwarteng was said to have armed himself with a gun, rushed to the house of the teenager, fired two warning shots, and a bullet hit the chest of the teenager, late Thursday.
Speaking to the Ghanaian Times here on phone, the victim’s father, Nana Kwame Frimpomg, linguist of the Offinso Paramountcy, claimed that the chief after the incident took the teenager, who was bleeding, to the Ankaase Hospital, but was asked to take the victim to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH).
Nana Frimpomg, said Nana Owusu Kwarteng reported to the Mamponteng Police station that he had shot a suspected robber.
According to the father, the victim’s sister was sent to buy some items, but three boys, said to be from the palace, were trailing her.
Nana Frimpomg said in the process the victim appeared at the scene and the sister reported the boys’ conduct to him.
The victim, the father said, inquired from the boys why they were trailing her sister, and that resulted in a fight and they were separated by some neighbours.
However, when Nana Owusu Kwarteng heard of the brawl, he sent some young men to the house of the teenager, inviting him to the palace.
The teenager declined to go to the palace, and Nana Owusu Kwarteng became furious and rushed to the teenager’s house, fired two shots resulting in the tragedy.
A police source at Mamponteng Police station confirmed that the chief was detained on Thursday and later released on a police enquiry bail.
The police source also confirmed that the chief reported a robbery case that led to the shooting and that investigation into the matter had begun.
As at the time of filing this report, the victim was still at the KATH in a critical condition.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE,KUMASI
