The Sege District Court in West Ada, Greater Accra Region, has sentenced Isaac Addi Buertey Puplampu of Hwakpo and four accomplices to 15 months jail term for their roles in violent assaults on three residents at Hwakpo.
The court, presided over by Her Worship, Victoria Ghansah, in addition fined Mary Adi Yawa GH¢1,800 but acquitted and discharged Evans Otiboe Osabutey, Beauty Puplampu and Esther Puplampu.
While the court found Nene Buertey Puplampu guilty on charges of abetment, Alex Puplampu, Emmanuel Sabah, Dartey Agorvor and William Buertey, the four accomplices, were sentenced on conspiracy and assault.
The court, in its judgement, said Isaac Addi Buertey Puplampu encouraged his accomplices to violently attack James Amartey Alipue Tetteh, Isaiah Tsiani Ackwerh and Clement Gator Ackwerh, after the gazetted Chief of Hwakpo, Nene Agbasi Dzikunu Ackwerh III, ordered them to beat a gong-gong for communal labour, sometime in October 2022.
Not only were the victims brutally assaulted, sustaining bruises, cuts and other injuries, but the court said they were further ‘bathed’ with urine by the accused persons.
Flashback
When the case was first heard by the court on September 19, 2022 the court suggested an out-of-court settlement to the parties, a suggestion that hurt the victims and their families.
The victims and their families, who, on that day, registered their disagreement with the decision of the Sege Court and said they were suffering continuous attacks from the same persons led by Isaac Addi Buertey Puplampu.
“The Chief of Hwakpo, Nene Ackwerh III, instructed my brothers to beat the gong-gong for communal labour and then from nowhere, Addi Buertey Puplampu and his thugs pounced on my brothers, injured them and pouring urine on them.
“How can such a serious matter like this be settled at home without giving a clear indication of who should mediate and for what?
“As a family, we have been restraining ourselves from defending ourselves in the same measure Addi Buertey Puplampu and his thugs have been attacking and injuring our siblings.
“We are respecting the rule of law, but if we feel we can’t get justice from the court, then we will advise ourselves as a family. We equally have men in our family to stand for one another,” a peeved relation of the victim shouted outside the court on that Monday, September 19, 2022.
The Chief of Hwakpo, Nene Ackwerh III, who was in the court on September 19, 2022 explained to The Chronicle that he understood the disappointment and anger of the victims and the youth in the community, because he ordered the beating of the gong-gong for the communal labour.
“It is obvious the continuous attacks by Isaac Addi Buertey Puplampu and his thugs have gotten to an unbearable state to my people and l think the court is the best to put matters to rest, before it gets out of hand.
“However, l didn’t want to challenge the decision of the court, but l think the victims have a case if they say that we cannot settle this matter except through the court.
“So l will try to prevent any reprisal attack until the next court date, 29th September, 2022 when l will ask the court to continue with the case,” Nene Ackwerh told The Chronicle.
On 29th September, 2022 when they appeared in court, Nene Ackwerh III told the court to continue with the case and after a series of appearances judgement was finally administered last Thursday.
The victims and their families were pleased with the court for ensuring that justice prevailed.
