Crime & Punishment of Thursday, 20 October 2005

Source: GNA

Court fines farmer one million cedis for insulting a chief

Mankranso (Ash), Oct 20, GNA - A 34-year-old farmer was on Monday fined one million cedis by the Mankranso magistrate court for insulting Nana Bediako Ababio, chief of Biemso Number One in the Ahafo-Ano South district of Ashanti.

The court ordered Akua Afriyie to pay an additional amount of two million cedis as compensation to the chief or in default will serve a two-year jail sentence.

She pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Police Inspector Abraham Agyei-Mensah told the court presided over by Mr Frank Owusu-Afriyie that Akua Afriyie insulted the chief and his elders when she was invited to the chief's palace for the settlement of conflict between her and her brother.

He said following this conduct the case was reported to the police who arrested and charged her with offensive conduct. The prosecution said however that the accused and her witnesses gave conflicting statements and therefore asked the court to imposed a heavy sentence to serve as a deterrent.