Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 20 July 2005

Source: GNA

Farmer fined for assaulting chief

Twifo Praso (C/R), July 20, GNA - A 22-year-old farmer, who slapped a chief because he intervened in a quarrel between him and other passengers on a vehicle, and blamed it on drunkenness, was on Tuesday fined 500,000 cedis by a district's magistrate's court at Twifo-Praso. Stephen Prah, who hails from Atieku in the Western Region pleaded guilty to assaulting Nana Akonfur Nuamah I, of Wassa Akyiapim, and will go to jail for three months in default.

He was also bonded to be of good behaviour for 12 months, or serve six months in prison and also ordered to pay one million cedis compensation to the chief, in default of which he would again serve six months in prison.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector George Okine told the court that on June 24, this year, Prah, who was travelling on the same vehicle with the chief from Atieku to Twifo Praso, picked a quarrel with some passengers.

He said when Nana Nuamah intervened, Prah insulted and slapped him and some of the passengers arrested and handed him over to the police. Chief Inspector Okine said during interrogation, Prah claimed that he assaulted the chief because he was drunk at the time.