Cocoa purchasing clerk in court for fraudulent deals

Blacksmith fined 8 million cedis for unlawful sale of arms

Accra (Greater Accra) 16 Nov. '99

An Accra Circuit Tribunal on Monday imposed a fine of eight million cedis on a 70-year-old blacksmith, Godwin Yaw Agbenyaglo, for illegally manufacturing and selling firearms to the public.

Agbenyaglo pleaded guilty to manufacturing firearms without authority.

He will go to prison for 12 months' if he fails to pay the fine.

The tribunal chaired by Mrs Frances Owusu-Arhin ordered that the firearms retrieved from his workshop at Ashaiman should be confiscated and sent to the police armoury.

Police Detective Chief Inspector Edward C. Antwi said on July 22, this year, the Military Police at Burma Camp had a tip-off that Agbenyaglo had manufactured a defective pistol and had offered it for sale at 50,000 cedis.

The prosecutor said the accused admitted the offence when he was arrested and when his workshop was searched, a locally manufactured pistol, a single-barrelled gun as well as three big hammers, an axe, a hack sew blade and a cutter used for his illegal business, were seized.

At the same court, two Nigerians who are standing trial for possessing a quantity of arms and ammunition without authority, were remanded until December 12.

Uzeak Uzondo Alo and Christian Obi, made their third appearance on Monday when they were arrested by Police on October 15 for transporting a 40-footer container full of firearms through Aflao without authority.

The accused persons have pleaded not guilty and the tribunal had remanded them to enable the Police to complete its investigations.

At the last adjourned date, the tribunal ordered that the Police should investigate whether the accused had an ECOWAS Brown Card which covered the vehicle used in transporting the firearms.

The tribunal further ordered that the Police must find out if the accused entered Ghana lawfully.

GRi''/