Crime & Punishment of Monday, 11 July 2005

Source: GNA

Court fines mason, six million or three years in jail

Tema, July 11, GNA - A mason who caused harm to a trader over non-payment of electricity bill was on Monday sentenced to six million cedis' fine or three years imprisonment in default by Tema Circuit Court "A" presided over by Mr Charles Asiedu.

Francis Amenor pleaded not guilty to unlawfully and intentionally causing harm to Madam Hajia Saidatu at Ashaiman.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Mary Assunta said one Mensah, a friend of Amenor, was a tenant in Hajia Saidatu's house at Ashaiman that owed electricity bill to the tune of 700,000 cedis.

She said Mensah attempted to leave the house without paying his part of the bill so Hajia Saidatu seized his belongings and Amenor intervened with the promise that he would settle his friend's bill. After the friend had left she sent someone to Amenor to collect money to pay the bill because the Electricity Company of Ghana had disconnected the whole house for non-payment.

Chief Inspector Assunta said the accused sent for the complainant and on seeing her hit her face with an iron rod that opened a deep cut.