Police constable granted a GH¢10,000 bail over threat of death

A Police General Constable was on Tuesday granted a GH¢10,000 bail with two sureties by a Kumasi Circuit Court for allegedly issuing a death threat to his bother's ex-wife.

Constable Gabriel Ofori pleaded not guilty to the charge and he will re-appear before the Court on January 19, 2009.

The bail was granted after his counsel, Lawyer Richard Anane, pleaded that, the two are related by marriage, adding that, he was even at the verge of settling the matter.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Alice Ansah told the Court presided over by Mr Eric Baah that the complainant, Miss Georgina Asante is a ward assistant and a resident of Pankrono in Kumasi, whilst the accused is a Police General Constable stationed at Agona Nyarkrom in the Central Region.

She explained that, the complainant was the wife of the accused person's senior brother who is residing in the United Kingdom and they have a child.

The Prosecution said for reasons known to the brother of the accused, he stopped sending money for the child's upkeep leading to a divorce.

Since then, the accused had been harassing her for his brother's property.

He started collecting his brother's valuables including television, tape recorder and even demanded for documents covering a plot of land at Atimatim in Kumasi but was refused.

Based on this, the accused sent her a text message threatening to kill her through a fetish (jujuman) of which the complainant also returned insulting and telling him she was not afraid of the fetish.

On June 18, last year, the General Constable called the complainant at about 7:30 am, informing her that he had come to Kumasi to eliminate her.

The accused traced the complainant to her house where he tried to assault her but he was restrained by sympathizers.

A report was made to the Old Tafo Police and the two were escorted to the Asawasi District Police Commander for further investigation.

The complainant later made a petition to the Inspector General of Police and after thorough investigations, the accused was charged and arraigned.