Court frees Horticulturalist

Asamankese, Jan. 7, GNA - The Asamankese Circuit Court has acquitted and discharged Abass Antwi, a horticulturalist, who was facing a charge of stealing cocoa pods belonging to his uncle The judge, Mr Emmanuel Siameh, in freeing Antwi, said the evidence by the prosecution was not sufficient to convict him. He said there was "yawning gap", between the evidence of the prosecution witnesses and it was unsafe to rely on them, adding that to do so would amount to miscarriage of justice. Mr Siameh said it emerged from evidence before the court that all was not well between Antwi and Solomon Osei Sarkodie who inherited the property of the accused person's father following his death. The judge said it was elementary principle that the prosecution had to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and having failed to do so, he acquitted and discharged Antwi.

The case for the prosecution was that Sarkodie inherited the property of Antwi's father following his death in 1970. In 2000, Antwi started claiming ownership of his late father's property including a cocoa farm and a house. The prosecutor said in October 2008, Antwi re-surfaced and threatened to take possession of his late father's cocoa farm and a house. In September 2009, Sarkodie travelled to his home town, Asante Mampong and on his return was informed that Antwi had harvested cocoa from his farm. A complaint was lodged with the police and Antwi was arrested. 07 Jan. 2010