Chief sentenced to 15 years for stealing family gold

Fiapre, Dec. 24, GNA - A Circuit court at Fiapre near Sunyani on Friday sentenced Nana Boahen Kokor Ankobeahene of Kwatire in the Sunyani West District, to 15 years imprisonment for stealing quantities of gold, belonging to the Ankobea family of Awuah Domasi.

The 71-year old chief pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing and was sentenced accordingly, but his accomplice Kofi kyeremeh, a 24-year old priest who pleaded not guilty, was discharged after the court's investigations found him not guilty to the charge. The prosecutor, Chief Inspector Kingsley Baafi told the court presided by Mr Yaw Osei Benjamin that complainants in the case are family heads and queen mother of the Ankobea family of Awuah Domasi. He said in June 2007, Kyeremeh informed Nana Kokor that "through his powers he had detected that one of the elders now deceased had buried quantities of gold ore in a certain room in the Ankobea family house at Kwatire".

He said the chief and the priest armed themselves with some working implements and went to dig the gold ore without the knowledge of the family members. The prosecutor said Nana Kokor after digging the gold took it to his house at Odumase to take care of it. Chief Inspector Baafi said the complainants got hint of it and reported the matter to the police for the arrest of the chief and the priest.

The accused person admitted the offence and told the police that after digging, the spirit of the priest whisked the gold away, and before it could return the family has to perform some rituals, he added. 24 Dec. 08