GRi In Court 09-03-99

Tribunal grants bail to "killer's" killer.

Businessman before tribunal for issuing dud cheques

Trader fined 2.1 million cedis for cruelty

Tribunal grants bail to "killer's" killer.

Tema (Greater Accra), 9 March  

The Tema community tribunal yesterday granted a 10 million cedis bail to George Kwaku Mireku, a driver, who murdered Prosper Dosu, also known as "killer" at Ashaiman on December 31, 1998.

The tribunal, chaired by Capt (rtd) Philip Agbeyome, ordered that two sureties should support the bail and in addition, Mireku should report twice in a week to the police at Ashaiman. The case was adjourned till April 14, 1999.

Capt. Agbeyome said the 1992 constitution gives discretion to the courts to grant bail to accused persons brought before them on indictable offence which,in their opinion, (it) is likely to take a longer time for the trial to commence.

He explained that in this case, Mireku has been in custody for the past two months, and there are no more fears that the relatives of the victim would avenge.

Chief Inspector Margaret Nunoo said Dosu, 24, died instantly through a gun shot fired by Mireku when he (Dosu) led a group of men holding cutlasses, sticks and other deadly weapons to attack his house at Ashaiman at about 9.20 p.m. on December 31, last year.

Accra (Greater Accra), 9 March  

Jackson Esiamah, a businessman, yesterday appeared before an Accra circuit tribunal, charged with issuing dud cheques totalling 5.9 million cedis.

He pleaded not guilty and was granted two million cedis bail to reappear on March 31.

The case for the prosecution is that in August, last year, the accused travelled with Madam Paulina Nsiah Asare, a trader, to Obomeng (Kwahu) for a funeral. During the journey, the accused showed interest in the distribution of drugs Madam Asare had imported from the USA.

The prosecution said the accused convinced Madam Asare that he was a druggist and had customers who needed the type of drugs she had.

Madam Asare later supplied him with the drugs and the accused issued her two post-dated cheques, one for 3.5 million cedis to be cashed on November 25, 1998 and the other for 2.4 million cedis, on December 11.

Both cheques were dishonoured so the complainant reported the matter to the police.

A Techiman circuit tribunal has imposed a fine of 2.1 million cedis on Afua Animah, a trader, for canning her househelp mercilessly and allowing her son, Paa Kwadwo to use a blade to inflict wounds on her.

Animah, who pleaded guilty to causing harm, will go to jail for six months in default.

The tribunal ordered that two million cedis of the fine should be given to the victim, Miss Nafisatu Mamudu, as compensation.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Samuel K. Yeboah, told the tribunal chaired by Mr Nicholas Abodakpi, that Miss Nafisatu Mamudu had lived as a house help with Afua Animah, a trader at Techiman, for about a year.

On February 11, this year, at about 4 pm, the accused, returned from town to find that Miss Mamudu had not satisfactorily grounded garden eggs meant for the day's soup.

Chief Inspector Yeboah said Miss Mamudu explained that because she was suffering from pains in her fingers, she could not thoroughly grind the pepper and the garden eggs.

The accused became offended and hit the head of Miss Mamudu with a stick and inflicted wounds on her.

On February 13, when the accused was going to the market, she asked Miss Hamudu to wash her clothes and scrub the room but she returned later in the day to find that the assignment had not been completed.

The accused became infuriated and flogged Miss Mamudu thoroughly. She later ordered her son, Paa Kwadwo, now at large, to use a blade to inflict wounds on Miss Mamudu's back while Animah held her hands.