Sunyani lawyer and teacher finally appear in court

Sunyani July 9 (Regina Benneh) GNA - Nana Obiri-Boahen, a Sunyani-based legal practitioner and Frank Kusi, a teacher, on Friday finally appeared before a Sunyani Magistrate court to face two charges of abetment of crime and assault.

The case was, however, adjourned till July 22, this year after Mr. Akwasi Boakye, counsel for the two appealed for an adjournment "since the prosecutor was not in court when the case was called".

Mr. Charles Adjei Wilson, a circuit court judge at Awutu-Bereku in the Central region and who was presiding as a magistrate judge noted that the suspects were in court early even before the court resumed sitting and therefore agreed with counsel to adjourn the case.

The presiding judge on July 15 ordered a police investigator and a court clerk to once again serve summons to the suspects when they failed to make their first appearance on Monday, July 5.

This was after Deputy Superintendent of Police Alex Yartey Tawiah, the prosecutor, had asked for a bench warrant for the arrest of the suspects as the police investigator, Sergeant E.K. Addo said he delivered the summons to the suspects.

The judge was not convinced that the summons got to the suspects So he asked the police to send another summons and to ensure that the suspects were duly served to enable them to before the court on Friday.

DSP Tawiah had told the court that Madam Azumah Nsor, complainant in the case in the company of a witness, Madam Amina Awudu, went to the house of Nana Obiri-Boahen to collect 17 million cedis that Nana Boahen had allegedly collected from her for his services as counsel in a civil case at a high court in Sunyani.

The lawyer ordered the two to leave his house but Nsor refused insisting on the refund of the money.

DSP Tawiah said Nana Obiri-Boahen, who is an aspiring NPP parliamentary candidate for Sunyani East became offended and ordered Kusi to beat her, which he did mercilessly.

Madam Nsor reported the matter to the Sunyani district police, who issued a medical report to enable her to attend hospital and later arrested the two suspects.

DSP Tawiah said in his caution statement, Nana Obiri-Boahen denied having ordered Kusi to beat Madam Nsor but admitted that the complainant and the witness were in his house on that day and he ordered them to leave.

The prosecutor said Kusi in his caution statement admitted that he assaulted the complainant but explained that it was Madam Nsor, who first slapped him. He denied dragging her on the ground.