A subchief who confessed to selling a piece of land to two different individuals has publicly been reprimanded by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
The first buyer, one of the two victims, brought the chief to the Otumfuo’s Palace, where the chief faced severe questioning outside the regular royal court session. In a video that has been circulating on social media, Otumfuo is seen in his courtyard, surrounded by his subjects and aides.
The chief, accompanied by his entourage, and the complainant are being questioned directly by the Asantehene. It is not currently clear when this incident took place.
At various points in the video, Otumfuo’s voice becomes stern as he addresses issues related to injustice and abuse of power by the chief.
He warned the chief, “If you misbehave, I will destool you immediately. If you sell a land and make a reentry but fail to inform the first owner, why allow someone else on the same parcel? Now the matter is being thrashed, what are insinuating? That you are wiser than everyone else? Is someone not on the land?”.
The original landowner stated that the issue was brought to Manhyia in 2014, and she took the chief to court because he refused to comply with the outcome of the Palace arbitration.
However, the chief denied that the matter had been heard at Manhyia when he was summoned by the courts.
In recent months, Otumfuo has announced his intention to crack down on chiefs involved in illegal small-scale mining (galamsey) and the double sale of land.
Several chiefs have been warned of possible destoolment for their involvement in these activities.