A Circuit Court in Accra has sentenced five individuals identified as Samuel Amoeshe and Gideon Amewu and Isaac Odai and Prince Opoku and Stephen Botchway to 10 years in prison each with hard labor. The court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah found the group guilty of possessing firearms and ammunition without lawful excuse. According to reports from 3News and Citi Newsroom the charges relate to a violent land dispute that occurred at Tomefa near Ngleshie Amanfro in the Ga South Municipality.
The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Isaac Babayi stated that the accused persons were part of a group of land guards who invaded a site to intimidate workers. According to the police statement filed in court the men were intercepted by a team of officers following a distress call regarding gunshots in the area. The Ghana News Agency reported that the police recovered a loaded pump action gun and several rounds of live ammunition from the vehicle used by the group during the operation.
During the trial the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy and illegal possession of weapons. However the court ruled that the evidence provided by the prosecution established their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Daily Graphic reported that the presiding judge emphasized the need for a deterrent sentence to curb the activities of land guards which have become a significant security threat in the Greater Accra Region.
The sentencing follows a period of increased enforcement by the Ghana Police Service against illegal land guarding activities. While the original 3News report highlighted physical assault the court records focused primarily on the weapons charges. All five convicts have been transferred to the Nsawam Medium Security Prison to begin their ten year sentences according to official court proceedings.