The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has destooled Nana Kusi Baaye II, the Chief of Ohwim, over multiple offenses including perjury, illegal land sales, extortion, and illegal mining.
The ruling came during a Kumasi Traditional Council meeting on February 24, 2025, where the King found him guilty of desecrating the Great Oath.
“You took money and witnessed falsely after vowing to be truthful to me with the Great Oath. Do you deserve to stay on the stool?” Otumfuo questioned before announcing his destoolment.
The case that sealed Nana Kusi Baaye II’s fate involved a chieftaincy dispute in which he falsely testified in favor of one party after allegedly accepting a bribe.
Reports indicate that he initially demanded GH₵6,000 from the rightful owners of the disputed stool to testify in their favor but later took money from the opposing side instead.
The Asantehene, however, saw through his deception and exposed him. Further accusations revealed that the chief illegally sold over 200 plots of land and misled his people into believing the Asantehene had approved a land seizure for a solar project—only for him to conduct illegal mining instead.
Beyond land-related offenses, his own sister, Akosua Nyame, accused him of disrespecting traditional customs. She invoked the Great Oath three times to stop his unauthorized land sales, but he reportedly scoffed, saying, “If the Great Oath has legs, let it come and arrest me.” Testimonies from multiple royals and traditional leaders further revealed that he obstructed the burial of a deceased chief, caused wrongful arrests, and even had his rivals tortured. Following the overwhelming evidence, the Asantehene ordered his immediate removal and reinstated the former Biemso Dikro, whose enstoolment the Ohwimhene had unlawfully nullified.
