Ayittey Powers freed

An Accra circuit court yesterday struck out the case involving Michael Ayittey Okine aka Ayitey Powers, a professional Ghanaian boxer accused of taking a total of GHc14,000 from two businessmen in Kumasi under the pretext of securing visas for them.

It was struck out after the court, presided over by Aboagye Tandoh, had urged the parties involved to consider resolving the case amicably.

He stated that the position of the court was to foster peace among the parties, insisting that if after full trial the accused was found culpable he would not be spared.

Mr. Tandoh stressed that nobody was above the laws of Ghana and that anybody – including himself – could be an accused person in any case any time.

Jerry Shaib, lawyer for Ayittey Powers, and the complainants after a discussion outside the court, finally agreed to call for a truce.

He said his client had fully paid the money he was alleged to have taken from the two complainants – Nana Oppong Yaw and Kofi Asante.

Chief Inspector Isaac Agbemehia who was in court, did not oppose the turn of events, compelling the trial judge to strike out the case for want of prosecution.

The boxer had at the initial stages of the trial denied the charge of defrauding by false pretences and was subsequently granted a GHc50,000 bail with two sureties.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Agbemehia had told the court that the complainants were residents of Asuoyeboah and Abrepoh Junction in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, respectively.

According to him, in November 2013, Ayittey Powers took advantage of his boxing profession to acquire visas for some Ghanaians to travel to Australia as part of his boxing team.

Chief Inspector Agbemehia said some Ghanaians resident in Australia who heard the deal, consulted the boxer and told him they wanted some family members to join them, and he promised he could assist by acquiring visas for them.

The prosecutor stated that as a result of that, Nana Oppong paid to the accused GHc6,500 while Asante gave him GHc7,500; and Ayittey Powers took their passports with the assurance of acquiring visas for them.

Chief Inspector Agbemehia noted that even though the complainants were not boxers, the accused person acquired boxers’ identification cards for them from the Boxing Authority which he forwarded to the Australian High Commission and showed evidence to the complainants on February 12, 2014.

Explaining further, the prosecutor said the complainants were not satisfied with the outcome of their visa applications and asked the boxer for a refund of their monies but he failed to do so.

Chief Inspector Agbemehia asserted that the victims reported the matter to the police and the boxer, recently defeated by Bukom Banku – another Ghanaian boxer – was consequently arraigned before court.