A witness who appeared untruthful at a Koforidua circuit court was spared being sent to jail last Thursday, because the judge said he wanted to go home to pray for the Black Stars in their match against Namibia.

"I will not jail you today because I want to go home to pray for our national team, the Black Stars, to win the match.

"But make sure that you do not commit this offence anywhere else or you will be jailed," Mr. Robert Adjei Djan, told him. The witness, Kwasi Amoako, was testifying in a case in which his friend, Kwaku John, is charged with offensive conduct and causing public nuisance.

However, his evidence contradicted that of the accused. At a point, he told the court that although he was with John when the crime was allegedly committed, he had forgotten entirely, what happened.

The judge then warned Amoako, "Those who tell lies to a court on earth risk being imprisoned for perjury, if you continue to tell lies, I will be forced to invoke the law on perjury". Perjury is the act of telling lies under oath before a court.

Justice Adjei Djan noted that many innocent persons have been wrongfully jailed because of "well polished" lies others have told about them.

The judge said he will be ruthless with persons who mislead the court adding "I will compile all the lies people have told the court when I go on retirement".

The prosecutor, ASP T.K. Nyadu, had earlier told the court that John and the complainant had been at loggerheads for a long time.

Then one day in December last year, at about 4.30 a.m., the complainant saw John urinating behind his window. In the ensuing confrontation, John allegedly hurled insults at the complainant who reported his conduct to the police and he was arrested. John who has pleaded not guilty to the charge will appear again on Friday, February 1.