Cripple fined for non-payment of tax

Twifo Praso (C/R), Dec. 18, GNA- A 40-year-old cripple, Kaakyire Amponsah, a stationery dealer from Twifo Praso was on Thursday fined 580,000.00 cedis by the Twifo-Praso district magistrate court for non-payment of tax.

Amponsah pleaded guilty on all charges of not honouring his quarterly income tax of 100,000.cedis, assaulting a public officer and causing unlawful damage, would go to prison for six months in default.

Mr Seth Bio Nyamekye, the presiding magistrate also bonded him to be of good behaviour for six months and repair the reading glasses of the Internal Revenue Officer, which he damaged.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector George Okine told the court that on October 20, 2006, officials of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) led by Mr Joseph Cudjoe on their official tax inspection duty at Praso went to the store of Nyamekye and asked him to produce his tax receipt but he could not.

He said Nyamekye was therefore asked to pay 100,000 cedis in respect of his quarterly income tax, but he refused and as a result the IRS officials allegedly collected four packets of Note 1 Exercise books and left for another shop.

Mr Okine said this did not go down well with Nyamekye who chased and attacked them and in process broke the spectacle of Mr Cudjoe the IRS official and also tore the uniform of a policeman who accompanied the officials.