Juvenile found with pistol, ammunition

Tema, April 19, GNA - A 16-year-old junior secondary school pupil, who was found allegedly possessing a locally- manufactured pistol with live ammunition and had entered an uncompleted building belonging to an Accra High Court Judge, was on Wednesday refused bail by the Tema Circuit Tribunal.

He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody until April 26, to enable the police to determine his correct age from a medical report. This was after the defence counsel, Mr Modestus Kpordovia, had argued that the accused had been in cells for three weeks and should be released on bail to be under the control of his parents and should be referred to the juvenile court.

Mr Ringo Cass Azumah, the presiding chairman, declined the request saying, "for a boy to be in possession of a pistol and live ammunition, is serious". Mr Azumah said if the age of the boy is found to be true, the tribunal would transfer the case to the juvenile court.

When his father was asked to testify as to the behaviour of his son, he told the tribunal that his boy had refused to go to school this term but did not know whether he could handle a pistol.

Inspector Daniel T. Martey, prosecuting, told the court that on April three, this year, at about 2.20 p.m., a caretaker at a house in Community 12 at Tema, saw the boy with the pistol entering an uncompleted building belonging to an Accra High Court Judge.

He said the caretaker, who became suspicious about the boy's movements, raised the alarm and the suspect was arrested. A search on him revealed the pistol and ammunition.