The Nsuta Circuit Court has ordered the prosecution to file witness statements in a case involving media personality and NPP activist Okatakyie Afrifa Mensah and six others accused of forming a vigilante group and disrupting New Patriotic Party (NPP) constituency elections in the Ashanti Region.

The court, presided over by Justice Simon Nketiah Gagah, also granted bail to all seven accused on Friday and adjourned the case to 31 August for a Case Management Conference.

Afrifa Mensah, 43, is facing two counts of forming a vigilante group and disrupting elections through the group. He pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of GHC100,000 with three sureties, one of whom must be a salaried worker earning at least GHC4,000 a month.

The other accused — Osman Awuni, 44, Kofi Antwi, 42, Kwabena Tsikata, 32, Bashiru Salifu, alias Tina, 39, Paul Kofi Mensah, 42, and Simon Ndana, 27 — were each granted GHC50,000 bail with two sureties.

Prosecutor Chief Inspector Owusu Kobi Moses told the court that the Ashanti North Regional Police Command received intelligence that vigilante groups from Accra and Kumasi had been engaged to disrupt NPP constituency elections scheduled for 11 and 12 July in the Afigya Sekyere East Constituency.

Police were subsequently deployed to reinforce security at the Wiamoase SDA Primary School polling centre on 12 July.

The prosecution alleged that shortly after the constituency’s Member of Parliament arrived at the centre to vote, Afrifa Mensah led about 30 people to the location in a Toyota Land Cruiser, a Toyota Tundra pick-up and several motorcycles.

Some members of the group were allegedly carrying pepper spray, handcuffs, wire whips, body armour and ammunition.

The prosecution said the group allegedly ignored police officers, advanced towards the MP and verbally assaulted her.

It further alleged that Afrifa Mensah ordered the group to disrupt proceedings after the District Commander intervened.

Electoral materials were allegedly kicked over and the District Commander pushed during the confrontation.

The prosecution also alleged that people concealed in the Toyota Tundra fired what appeared to be warning shots from pump-action guns, prompting police to intervene and disperse the crowd.

The accused were subsequently arrested, although one allegedly fled before being apprehended later.

Police said searches following the arrests resulted in the recovery of talismans, a spent BB cartridge, NATO pepper spray, wire whips, handcuffs, body armour and a live BB cartridge.

Three toffees suspected of containing narcotics were also recovered and sent to the Police Forensic Laboratory in Accra for analysis.

The prosecution said the vehicles and motorcycles allegedly used in the incident remained in police custody as investigations continued.

It also told the court that some of the accused allegedly admitted in their caution statements that they had been sent to the scene by Afrifa Mensah.

The prosecution said Afrifa Mensah similarly stated in a handwritten statement that he had sent the other accused to the location.

The court ordered the prosecution to file its witness statements and adjourned proceedings to 31 August, for a Case Management Conference.