Judge cautions against unsubstantiated accusations

A Bolgatanga Circuit Court Judge, Mr Justice Albert Kuoro, on Tuesday, warned the public to desist from branding people thieves when in fact they have not been found guilty and convicted by a competent court. He said anybody wrongly accused as a thief had every privilege to sue his accusers for huge sums for defamation of character.

The judge was presiding over a case, in which one Adombilla Adongo, a farmer had been arraigned before the court charged with stealing a dog valued at 80,000 cedis.

Mr Kuoro made the remark, when the complainant, Abambilla Adongnaba, Assemblyman for Yarigabisi near Bolgatanga, openly called the accused person a thief in the witness dock when he was being cross examined. The judge said under no circumstances should anybody be branded or called a thief when no court of competent jurisdiction had convicted the one.

He said in law, "no multitude of suspicion is a proof" adding that, a charge of stealing must be properly proved. The Judge granted accused 500,000 cedis bail and adjourned judgement for Wednesday February 27. He said two witnesses and the investigator in the case could not establish the charge of stealing against the accused