Driver jailed 20 years

A 38-year-old taxi driver in the Kumasi metropolis has been slapped with a 20-year jail sentence by a Kumasi circuit court for threatening to kill his fiancée.

Bright Kwadwo Atakora, who is an ex-convict, pleaded not guilty to the charge of threatening to kill, eventhough he allegedly did so in the presence of witnesses.

Presenting the case before court, the Prosecutor, Chief Inspector Comfort Kyei Baffuor, told the court that the complainant was involved in an amorous relationship with the accused resulting in the birth of two children.

As a result of Kwadwo Atakora’s refusal to perform her customary marriage rites, she noted, the complainant decided not to continue the relationship with him anymore and for the last two years, had been staying with her relatives at Ayigya in Kumasi.

The prosecutor said  5:00 a.m., on 4 June, 2010 the complainant was in her room when she suddenly heard the accused furiously hurling insults at her and deliberately accused her of stealing his money from his room at Deduako.

Chief Inspector Kyei Baffour said the accused in the presence of witnesses threatened to kill the complainant and their two children who were staying with the complainant’s mother if she refuses to give him the money and the eldest of their children.

Eventhough the accused denied the offence in his caution statement to the police; the prosecutor said he continued to use threatening words anytime the complainant entered the charge office.

Chief Inspector Kyei Baffour also revealed that the accused was under investigations for the same offence in two different instances at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) police station.

After investigation, the accused was charged and prosecuted with the offence.

STORY FROM: LOUIS ARTHUR YEBOAH, KUMASI