Man believed to be a serial killer put before court
Four charged with infringement of copyright
Farmer 46, jailed two years for incest
Man believed to be a serial killer put before court
Accra (Greater Accra) 9 Dec. ’99
A 40 year old man, who raped and threatened to kill a 23-year-old lady and believed by Police to be linked to the serial killings in Accra, was on Wednesday put before an Accra Community Tribunal presided over by Mr. Kojo Owusu.
The accused, John Ayittey Koranteng appeared before the court on two counts of rape and causing harm.
Koranteng, who the police think is feigning insanity, was remanded in prison custody to enable the police to complete investigations and establish his identity.
His plea was not taken.
The court further ordered that the police should ensure that the victim was given adequate treatment due to the human bites on her body to forestall any health hazards.
It also ordered that the docket be sent to the Attorney General's department on completion of police investigations.
Presenting the facts of the case, Inspector Yartey Tawiah said the victim (name withheld) was attacked while returning from Sakumono, where she works to her home at Weija on 19 November.
He said the lady got down at the Weija barrier and whiles walking home the accused appeared from the bush, attacked her with a knife and raped her, tearing her clothing apart while biting her during the ensuing struggle.
The prosecution said the victim succumbed to the man because of the threat of death and said she had the opportunity to flee when her attacker noticed the approach of a passer-by.
Inspector Tawiah said the modus operandi of the suspect, his demeanour and the fact that he appears not to be normal makes the police suspect that he might be behind some of the murders in and around Accra.
Twenty-one women have been killed in sex related murders during the past year.
The case has been adjourned to 15 December.
GRi./
Four charged with infringement of copyright
Accra (Greater Accra) 9 Dec ’99
Four persons, who were allegedly selling foreign magazines without authority from the publishers, appeared before a circuit tribunal in Accra on Wednesday, charged with infringement of the copyright law.
They are Eric Kobla Ahamazie, businessman, Charles Agbenyo Asamoah, Samuel Egbenu, both vendors and Ernest Asare, a businessman.
They pleaded not guilty to two counts of abetment and infringement of copyright. They were each granted two million cedis bail with one surety to re-appear on January six, 2000.
The tribunal, chaired by Mrs Frances Owusu-Arhin, ordered that the docket be sent to the Attorney - General's Department for advice.
The prosecution said the complainant is an agent of Ronner Enterprise, which has letters of authority and exclusive right under the copyright law to distribute for sale, some foreign magazines including Times, Ebony, World Soccer and Computer World.
For sometime now, the complainant discovered that there has been thefts of some of the magazines whenever they arrived at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
The prosecution said on July six, the complainant found that copies of the latest Times, which was yet to be cleared from the KIA were sold above the approved price of five thousand cedis at Koala Shopping Centre at Osu.
The owner of the shop mentioned Ahamazie and Asamoah as his suppliers.
Further investigations led to the arrest of Egbenu and Asare.
The prosecution said investigation showed that the accused persons have no authority to sell the magazines.
GRi../
Farmer 46, jailed two years for incest
Mampong (Ashanti Region) 9 Dec ’99
A 46-year-old farmer, Adama Kwenteny who married his step-daughter, Dramani Amina, and had an issue with her was on Wednesday sentenced to two years' imprisonment in hard labour by an Asante Mampong community tribunal.
Kwateny pleaded not guilty to the charge of incest. Police Inspector, Mr F.W.H. Fiator, prosecuting, told the tribunal, chaired by Mr John Akparibo, that the accused married Ashetu Dramani Kpimah who had already had two children, Amina and Koot from her previous marriage.
Amina who was staying with her grandfather later joined her mother and the stepfather at Koduase, near Nsuta in Ashanti, when she was 13 years of age.
The prosecutor said, the accused subjected the girl to torture after she had refused his demand for an unhealthy relationship until she yielded.
The accused consequently made the girl pregnant and she gave birth to a baby boy.
Inspector, Fiator said in April, this year, Amina's grandfather heard about the incident and detailed a relative, Haruna Dramani to bring Ashetu and her daughter, Amina, back home in the Northern region.
The prosecutor said the accused had travelled out of the village when the errand boy arrived at Koduase but later he send the victim to Nsuta, in order to keep her away from her mother.
The case was reported to the Nsuta police and the accused was arrested.
The prosecutor said the accused admitted marrying the girl with the consent of his wife, adding that their custom permitted marriage to both mother and daughter.
GRi../