Labourer remanded over arson

Kumasi, July 31, GNA - A circuit court at Kumasi on Monday remanded Maxwell Atta Frimpong, a labourer for alleged arson and stealing of electricity wires worth 30 million cedis. Frimpong pleaded guilty to the charges but sentence was deferred to enable the police to carry out further investigations. He will re-appear before the court on August 14 for sentence.

Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of police (ASP) Kufuor Boateng, told the court presided over by Mr Ernest Yao Obimpeh that the accused person, who claimed to be living in Accra, came to spend four days in an uncompleted building belonging to one Ama Achiaa at Kuwait, a suburb of Kumasi with the idea of stealing the wire lines in the house. ASP Boateng said the accused person allegedly removed all the wires, which had been used to wire the house during his four-day stay. He explained that, Frimpong whose intent was to get the copper out of the wires set them on fire. He said the smoke from the burning wires attracted neighbours who alerted officials of the Ghana National Fire Service who put the fire under control.

The prosecutor said it was at that time that the accused person was found out and was arrested by the police. ASP Boateng said Frimpong admitted the offence in his caution statement and was charged. In another development, a 33-year-old driver, Richard Amissah was fined two million cedis for driving under the influence of alcohol and without a driving license. He will serve a two-year jail term if failed to pay the fine. The court also banned him from driving for 12 years. ASP Regina Addo-Yobo told the court presided over by Mr Ernest Yaw Obimpeh, that the driver was arrested during a normal police checks on July 28.