Tarkwa, June 08, GNA - Mr Justice John Ajet-Nasam, Presiding over a Tarkwa Circuit Court has ordered a small-scale mining operator Kwaku Mbroh to pay 18.5 million cedis or serve seven years imprisonment on his own plea for burning properties belonging to his wife, Madam Afua Nyantah and her cousin Yaw Badu.

The items included bags, foam mattresses, clothing, sandals, pillows, bed-sheets, wax prints and dresses.

Police Inspector Oscar Amponsah, prosecuting, said the complainants, Madam Nyantah is a petty trader and Badu a mechanic living at Essamankakraba, a suburb of Tarkwa, whilst the accused lives at Ndoyem near Nkawkaw, in the Eastern Region. He said about nine months ago, the accused and husband of Nyantah left Essamankakraba for Ndoyem to work.

The prosecution said both Nyantah and Badu lived in the same house and when Badu's room collapsed, Nyantah vacated the room she was occupying with her husband for Badu.

Police Inspector Amponsah explained that Nyantah had taken Badu as a cousin because Badu's mother adopted her (Nyantah) as a daughter and the room was given to her (Nyantah) as a gift when Badu's mother died. He said Nyantah then went to share a room belonging to one Sister Afua in the same house.

The prosecution said when the accused returned to Essamankakraba at about 10:30pm on May 26, this year to meet Badu sleeping in their room he asked of the whereabouts of his wife (Nyantah). Police Inspector Amponsah said Badu went to call her, on seeing his wife, the accused became annoyed and started beating her up, claming that she was flirting with Badu and in the process bit her left thumb. He said Badu went to rescue her and subsequently both of them (Nyantah and Badu) went to Tarkwa police station to lodge a complainant.

The prosecution said during their absence, the accused packed all belongings of the complainants from the room outside, sprinkled some Kerosine on them and set them ablaze.

He said the accused armed with a knife stood beside the burning items and threatened to kill anyone who dared to put off the fire until the items burnt into ashes. The prosecution said the accused was later arrested and after investigations charged with the offence. 08 June 06