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 3 in court over alleged kidnapping, assault of businessman

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 Three out of five individ­uals have been brought be­fore an Accra Circuit Court for their alleged involve­ment in the kidnapping and assault of a businessman.

The accused are Albert Tetteh Botch­way, 34, David Burke, 34, both business­men, and Promise Lamptey, 29, a security guard.

Two other suspects, Awudu Balm and Katanga, remain at large.

The five are accused of kidnapping Kwadwo Agyapong Berry, a businessman, over a failed business investment.

They face charges including conspiracy to commit crime (kidnapping), kidnapping, conspiracy to commit crime (assault), and assault.

When the case was called, the first ac­cused, Botchway, was absent but submitted a medical report to the court.

The second accused, David Burke, and third accused, Promise Lamptey, were present and both denied the charges against

 them.

Presiding Judge, Mrs. Susana Eduful, granted Burke and Lamptey bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 each, with two sureties each.

One surety must earn at least GH¢5, 000, while the other must be an immediate family member.

The case has been adjourned to Febru­ary 3, 2025.

The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, informed the court that the complainant, Kwadwo Agyapong Berry, resides at Amrahia, near Adenta in Accra, while the accused, Botchway, Burke, and Lamptey, live at Labadi.

The court was told that Lamptey, Balm, and Katanga are employees of Botchway.

On December 14, 2024, Berry, along with Botchway and Burke, took Benja­min Appiah Boateng to Laboma Beach to interrogate him about the alleged misap­propriation of over $1.6 million from their investment.

According to the prosecution, Boateng was detained at Laboma Beach, with Botchway present, while the complainant visited daily to monitor Boateng’s efforts to recover the money.

On December 18, 2024, Burke called the complainant, asking him to come to Laboma Beach on December 19, 2024, around 7:00, for a meeting with both Burke and Botchway.

The prosecution said on December 19, 2024, the complainant drove to Laboma Beach for the meeting, and he was ushered to the office of Botchway by Burke.

The prosecution stated that while at Botchway’s office, Botchway deliberately stepped out.

During this time, Lamptey, Balm, and Katanga entered the office and instructed Burke to leave.

“At this stage, Lamptey, Balm and Katanga then locked the door of the office, handcuff the complainant and subjected him to severe beating including the use of an electric wire to shock him,” the Prosecu­tion outlined.

The prosecution explained that the complainant reported that Lamptey, Balm, and Katanga told him that Boateng had confessed that the $600,000 investment belonging to Botchway and Burke was with him (complainant).

The complainant was reportedly held in Botchway’s office from 7:30 to 8:30 on December 19, 2024, until the Police Intelli­gence Department received a tip about the incident and rescued him.

On January 2, 2025, Botchway and Lamptey were arrested for further inves­tigations. During questioning, Lamptey admitted to the offence but claimed that Boateng had implicated the complainant as his accomplice during their interrogation, which led to their actions.

On January 10, 2025, Burke was also arrested for investigations and later granted police enquiry bail.

The prosecution stated that Botchway, Burke, and Lamptey have been charged, while efforts continue to arrest Balm and Katanga. —GNA

Crime

 Man convicted of manslaughter, Legal Aid to his rescue

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• Kwame Tsoafonanyo

 68–year-old man, Kwame Tsoafonan­yo, has been sentenced to six months in prison for manslaughter in hard labour under Section 239 of Act 30 by the Accra High Court (Criminal Division 3) on March 12, 2025.

This was after he pleaded guilty to the charge of man­slaughter, having spent almost seven years in prison custody.

Tsoafonanyo was initially charged with murder by the Of­fice of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice in 2018, for shooting to death, Dzifa Wuame Sabu at a drinks and bar spot located at Bawaleshie pipeline, a suburb of Dodowa in Accra.

He was subsequently admitted to bail on October 10, 2023, but was unable to satisfy the bail con­ditions and continued to remain on remand.

On February 25, 2025 when the convict appeared again, his counsel, Jeffrey Abbey Adamson, of the Legal Aid told the court his client had decided to change his plea from guilty of murder to manslaughter in pursuant to Section 239 of Act 30.

The trail Judge, after having satisfied herself that all neces­sary processes had been fulfilled, permitted the accused person to retake his plea in accordance with the law.

The accused was convicted on his own plea after which sentence was passed.

In passing sentence, Justice Mary M.E Yanzuh, Presiding Judge, said she took into account the plea of mitigation argued by counsel for the accused, among others.

She also took into account of the fact that the convict did not waste the court’s time.

“I have taken into consider­ation the fact that the accused person is a first time offender, that is he is not known to the law, the accused person has also pleaded guilty simpliciter and not taken the court through a full trial,” Justice Yanzuh added

Justice Yanzuh also indicated that she considered the period the convict spent in custody, and the fact that he had shown remorse.

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Crime

Pastor in police grips for murder of his two-year old son

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The Central Regional Police Command has arrested a pastor, Israel Eshun, of God Host Favour church, Mankessim, for the mur­der of his two-year old son.

The suspect is alleged to have murdered and buried the deceased in his uncompleted church office at Estate, a suburb of Mankessim.

The police in a statement explained that a call was placed to the service at 4pm last Tuesday regarding the incident.

“A team of police personnel went to the scene near Closed­field School at Mankessim Estate” it disclosed.

He noted that the suspect on seeing the police fled the scene into a nearby bush.

A search according to the po­lice, was conducted at the church premises where a freshly dugout hole which was alleged to have contained the mortal remains of the deceased.

The deceased, whose name was given as Jehoshaphat Kojo Eshum, aged 2, per the report

 later turned out to be the son of the suspect.

The statement further stated that the suspect during interroga­tion, confessed that whilst on the way coming to Mankessim with the deceased, he died, so he bur­ied him at the church premises.

The scene had been cordoned to avoid it being disturbed or contaminated as investigation is carried out by the police

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Crime

Police grab woman, 30, for pouring acid on ex-boyfriend

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• Suspect -Mavis Nkrumah

 The Greater Accra Regional Police Command has arrested 30-year-old Mavis Nkrumah for allegedly pouring substance suspected to be acid on her ex-boyfriend at Ablekuma Fan Milk, a suburb of Accra.

The incident led to the victim sustaining varying degree of injury.

Briefing the media in Accra yesterday, the Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, Su­perintendent Juliana Obeng, said the incident happened in the early hours of Tuesday, May 28, 2025.

She stated that preliminary investigations showed that Mavis went to the residence of the victim, Gideon Frimpong, 29-year old taxi driver, uninvited around 1:00 a.m.

Supt Obeng explained that Gideon spoke briefly with Mavis when she arrived. Subsequently, Mavis asked Frimpong to take her home, which he obliged.

“On their way, Gideon stopped at a rough and bumpy part of the road, saying he could not drive further. During this stop, Mavis brought up issues about their past relationship,” she narrated.

Supt Obeng further elaborated that after Frimpong confirmed for the third time that their relation­ship was over, Mavis allegedly poured the liquid suspected to be acid on him and fled the scene.

Frimpong, who suffered  injuries, was found by some people nearby and rushed him to the hos­pital where he received treatment.

Moreover, Supt Obeng revealed that after the attack, Mavis tried to escape from Ghana into a neigh­bouring country, but was arrested by the police on Monday, June 3, 2025.

She is currently in police custo­dy and assisting with investigations.

Supt Obeng warned the public against resorting to violence in personal disputes.

She also encouraged the public to use peaceful and lawful means to settle disputes as well as report any suspicious behaviour to the nearest police station.

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