Solomon Amponsah, the accused in the case of cutting down the historic Komfo Anokye tree at Feyiase in the Ashanti Region, has met the bail conditions after spending nearly a month in custody.
Despite being granted GHC20,000 bail with a surety by the Atasemanso Circuit Court, Amponsah had faced difficulties in securing his release until recently.
In court on Wednesday (6 December), the prosecution amended the charge sheet from the initial charge of unlawful damage to reflect the illegal felling of the tree.
The suspect pleaded not guilty to this new charge. Presiding judge Gloria Mensah Bonsu adjourned the case to 28 December, ordering the prosecution to file disclosures and other documents related to the trial.
Background
Authorities launched a manhunt for those responsible for cutting down the famous 300-year-old kola tree, believed to have healing powers, in the Bosomtwe District town of Feyiase.
The tree, rooted in the Ashanti Kingdom’s history, grew at the spot where renowned priest Komfo Anokye supposedly spat a kola nut in the early 1700s.
Local beliefs attribute healing properties to the black and white seeds of the kola tree. The tree, situated in the middle of a major road connecting Kumasi to Lake Bosomtwe, was spared during highway construction and was a cherished tourist attraction.
Ghanaians expressed outrage as images of the felled tree circulated online. The reason for its recent cut remains unclear.
The Battle of Feyiase, a significant historical event in the Ashanti Kingdom’s struggle for independence against the Denkyira Kingdom, took place at the same site.
The tree’s presence served as a tangible link to the region’s history and cultural heritage.
The director of research at Manhyia Palace, Osei-Bonsu Safo Kantanka, had emphasized the historical importance of the tree’s location in the Ashanti Kingdom’s narrative.
Reporting by Richmond Opoku in Atasemanso, Ashanti Region
Asaase Radio 99.5 broadcasts on radio via 99.5 in Accra, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 100.3 in Cape Coast and on our affiliates Bawku FM 101.5 in Bawku, Beats FM 99.9 in Bimbilla, Somua FM 89.9 in Gushegu, Stone City 90.7 in Ho, Mining City 89.5 in Tarkwa and Wale FM 106.9 in Walewale
Tune in to broadcasts online: asaaseradio.com, Sound Garden and TuneIn
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
Live streaming on facebook.com/asaase99.5. Also on YouTube: AsaaseXtra.
Join the conversation. Call: 020 000 9951 or 059 415 7777. Or WhatsApp: 020 000 0995.
#Asaase321
#TheVoiceofOurLand
#WeAreHere
#WeLoveOurLand
#SafeMotorway4All
