The continuous absenteeism of Chief Inspector Francis Acquaye, a Prosecutor at the Sege District Court has compelled the presiding judge to warn of striking out a criminal case the former has presented for trial.
The court, presided over by Mr Narh Awah, sounded the caution because the case before it has been lingering for over a year, with the prosecutor appearing in court not more than five times.
Chief Inspector Francis Acquaye was expected to show up in court on June 7, this year, after the last adjourned date on May 27, 2021, when the court could not sit because of the ill-health of the presiding judge.
Chief Inspector Francis Acquaye is at the Sege District Court to assist it in trying seven accused persons for allegedly causing harm to Clement Ackwerh, the complainant.
The case has been called 14 times since its first hearing on July 27, 2020 and out of the 14 times the complainant and his family appeared in court, Chief Inspector Francis Acquaye hardly showed up.
On June 7, 2021 when the case was called for trial to continue, the prosecutor, whose office is a stone throw to the court, again disappointed the court.
Unhappy with his records of absenteeism, the court warned of striking out the case, should Chief Inspector Acquaye absent himself again, on July 7, 2021 where the case had been adjourned to.
Brief facts
David Nomotey Nartey, Solomon Nartey, Emmanuel Sabbah, Esther Puplampu, Agorvor Daitey, Buer Puplampu and Iddrisu Puplampu are standing trial at the Sege District Court for allegedly causing harm to Clement Ackwerh, a crop farmer. All are residents of Hwakpo in the West Ada District.
On April 28, 2020 the accused persons reportedly attacked Clement Ackwerh on his farmland at Hwakpo and reportedly inflicted cutlass wounds on his body and palm. Despite the severe beatings and injuries, Clement managed to escape on his motorbike.
The victim later reported the incident to the Sege District Police Command where he was handed a police medical form for treatment.
The police, after their investigations, processed the seven for court, with the first hearing on July 27, 2020 when Chief Inspector Francis Acquaye, the Prosecutor, appeared in court.
The case has since been adjourned 13 times from August 13, 2020 to June 7, 2021 and the complainant and his family have not been satisfied with the attitude of the prosecutor for his absenteeism at court to enable the court speed up trial.
On May 27, 2021 when the case was scheduled to be heard, the complainant and his family were in court but Chief Inspector Acquaye, as usual, was absent.
However, the court did not sit on that day because the presiding judge was indisposed.
The court’s registrar, therefore, gave June 7, 2021 for the hearing, a new date the complainant and his family reported to the prosecutor at his office at the Sege District Police Station, which is about three minutes walk from the court.
Sadly, when the complainant and his family appeared on the new date and the case was called, Chief Inspector Francis Acquaye was nowhere to be found in the room.
The absenteeism displayed by the Prosecutor to court, to enable a speedy trial of the case, compelled His Lordship Narh Awah, the judge, to warn of striking out the case if he absents himself again on July 7.
The warning infuriated the complainant’s family to express their dissatisfaction at the deliberate attitude of Chief Inspector Acquaye, whose absenteeism compelled the court to sound the strong warning.
From John Bediako and Inusa Musah, Sege
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