Oguaa judge expresses concern about hunting at night

Cape Coast, Jan 17, GNA- Mr Beresford Acquah, a Cape Coast circuit court judge, on Wednesday called on chiefs in the region to enact laws banning people from hunting at night. This he said would help address the situation where hunters gun down human beings for game, adding that about three of such cases have appeared before him. Mr Acquah made the call when he remanded Philip Mensah alias Kwame Essuman, a farmer, into prison custody for allegedly shooting one Mr Kwaku Lartey at Assin Tufokrom near the Kakum National Park resulting in his death. His plea was not taken and he would reappear on Wednesday February 6 2008.

Prosecuting, Chief inspector Ben Klufio, told the court that on December 23 last year at about 1500 hours, Mensah went into the forest, which is about 12 kilometres away from the National Park to hunt. He alleged that whiles Mensah was hunting, he saw something move and thought it was an animal and shot at it, but it turned out to be the late Lartey, who shouted "you have killed me", and Mensah rushed to the scene to find Lartey in pain and took him to the Fosu district hospital, where he was treated and discharged. He further alleged that when the late Lartey was discharged, Mensah again took him to a herbalist who managed to remove some pellets from his body and advised Mensah to take him to the hospital for further treatment.

Chief inspector Klufio said Mensah then took him to the Abura Dunkwa district hospital where he was admitted but died the next day. He said the body was conveyed to a private morgue at Ajumako, but the police later had information about the death of Lartey and arrested Mensah.