Traditional priest to serve day’s imprisonment for harming unemployed woman

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced a Traditional Priest to one-day imprisonment for causing harm to an unemployed woman at Teshie in Accra.

Michael Martey Mamah charged with causing harm, pleaded guilty. Mamah, together with some of his relations, apologized to the court and the complainant.

The court presided over by Kwabena Kodua Obiri convicted Mamah on his own plea and sentenced him to also pay a fine of GHC6,000 in default and serve a year’s imprisonment.

It further directed the convict to pay compensation of GHC6,000 to the complainant.

Prosecution led by Inspector Belinda Asante narrated that the complainant Cecelia Korley was an unemployed resident of Chorkor in Accra, while the accused person Micheal Martey was a Traditional Priest and a resident of Teshie.

The prosecution said on October 24, 2023, the Teshie Gbuglan family, where the accused person hailed from in collaboration with some factions from Prampram, organised puberty rites at Teshie.

The prosecution said the same day at about 4:00 pm while the rites were ongoing, Mamah confronted the complainant over an allegation made by her (complainant) that some of the nominated ladies performing the rite had in their lifetime aborted pregnancies.

Inspector Asante said in the course of deliberating upon the issue, Mamah became offended and slapped the complainant.

The convict further pushed the complainant onto the ground, resulting in a swollen right cheek and a dislocated right shoulder.

The prosecution said the complainant reported the matter to the Police, and she was issued with a medical form to attend the hospital.

The complainant after visiting the hospital returned the medical form endorsed by a medical officer of LEKMA Hospital.

According to the Prosecutor, Mamah was subsequently arrested and in his cautioned statement admitted the offence.