Woman before tribunal for abandoning baby
Farmer sanctioned for dodging communal labour
Woman before tribunal for abandoning baby
Tema (Greater Accra) 9 Nov. '99
Mawusi Akwetey, 26, unemployed, on Tuesday appeared before a Tema Community Tribunal for abandoning her day-old-baby girl in a bush at Batsonaa, near Tema.
She pleaded guilty to the offence of exposing the baby to harm, but explained that she abandoned her because of poverty.
The tribunal chaired by Capt. Philip Agbeyome (rtd) ordered that the baby, who is now a month old be sent to the Department of Social Welfare.
The accused was also to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for two years or in default go to jail for two years.
Prosecuting, Inspector Comfort Nyamesah, said on October 10, at about 03:00 hours, a Security man on duty found a day-old-baby girl in a fertiliser sack, abandoned in a bush near Akuaba estate.
He informed the Police, who picked it to the Tema General Hospital for nursing.
Following investigations the Police arrested the accused for questioning and she confessed that the baby was hers and explained that she left it in the bush because she could not take care of it, Inspector Nyamesah said.
Mawusi was sent to the hospital when the Police realised that she was sick and was admitted together with the baby until 3 November, when she was discharged and brought before the tribunal, the prosecution added.
GRi../
Farmer sanctioned for dodging communal labour
Abura Dunkwa (Central Region), 9th November 99
The Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese district tribunal chaired by Mr. Benjamin K. Dontwi has fined a 64-year- old farmer, Opanin Yaw Damoah of Assin Bosomadwe, 40,000 cedis for failing to attend communal labour.
He will serve three months in prison if he fails to pay. Twenty thousand cedis of the fine, if paid, should be given to the unit committee.
Yaw Asiamah, Richard Danquah and Kwamena Atis who failed to appear before the tribunal for the same offence are to be arrested on bench warrant.
Police Inspector M.W. Walley, told the tribunal that September 19 this year, the Assin Bosomadwe unit committee beat a gong-gong to invite the community for communal labour to dig a pit latrine for the town but the four accused persons failed to turn up.
The prosecution further said the four were asked to pay a fine of five thousand cedis but they refused to pay and have thus been charged with the offence.
GRi