The Chief of Assin Dansame, Okofo Twum Berimah IV, has revealed that he ordered the exhumation of a corpse buried at the public cemetery because the family of the deceased failed to pay a debt of GHC 500.00 the deceased owed the community and also failed to follow laid down customs before burying him when he died.
Residents of Assin Dansame were thrown into a state of disbelief when some youths hired by Okufo Twum Beriama IV exhumed the coffin containing the mortal remains of a man said to be a member of the royal family.
Wails and cries from the women, who witnessed the incident, could not deter the young men from accomplishing their mission.
Adom News Reporter Alfred Amoh who followed the story reported that there has been a long standing dispute between the Chief and Asona family in Assin Dansame.
He indicated that the coffin, which contained the decomposing body was left in the center of the town.
Reacting to the unfortunate occurrence on Adom News Monday, the Chief said he did not order the exhumation of the body because of the supposed long standing dispute between him and the Asona family.
He claimed that the family of the deceased did not inform him and did not follow the laid down customs before the burial.
“The family buried the dead in someone else’s tomb and that was because they did not follow the laid down rules and procedures…,” he said.
The chief noted that the family of the deceased did not participate in any communal labour in the area, and they failed to pay a fine of GHC500, hence the decision to deny their corpse a resting place in that cemetery without proper customs.
The family head however disputed the claim of the Chief.
The disagreements notwithstanding, the Asona family have agreed to rebury their family member whose corpse was dug out by the Chief of Assin Dansame.
The agreement was reached after the police and the Assin North MCE spent more than 3 hours to restore calm in the community.
The agreement for the reburial of the deceased, according to Assin Fosu Divisional Police Commander, Chief Supt. Henry B.M Bacho, was reached after the Assembly agreed to provide the four (4) sheep and four (4) bottles schnapps demanded by the Chief.
Meanwhile, the Assin North MCE, Hon. Nicholas Fifi Baako charged the police to arrest all perpetrators