Randy Priest Escapes Jail

A first degree felony charge against a randy Roman Catholic priest, Rev. Father Charles Asamoah of Bodwesango, has been dropped as a result of an out-of-court settlement.

The 32-year-old was convicted and sentenced by an Obuasi circuit court to pay a fine of GH¢800 for hacking his lover girl over an issue of infidelity at the St. Louis Parish's mission house.

Fr. Asamoah was convicted after pleading guilty to two counts of causing unlawful harm and threat of death to Janet Dwamena Agyapomaa aka Yaa Kwahu.

The priest was also made to sign a bond to be of good behaviour for 6 months or serve a 3-month jail term in default.

Prosecution dropped the charge of attempted murder against the priest following a mitigation by the defence counsel, Franklin Asamoah, who told the court that Fr. Charles Asamoah had shown remorse since the  time the action took place and accordingly paid GH¢5,700 as compensation to the victim.

The money was said to be the full and final settlement of all claims and liabilities.

Yaa Kwahu, the victim, confirmed receipt of the said amount in the open court, though she fumed it was not enough to compensate for her sufferings. She rained insults and curses on the court officials, saying she was being short-changed.

She had agreed in an undertaking to discontinue with the trial after acknowledging receipt of the GH¢5,700. The undertaking was endorsed with her thumbprint and signed by witnesses, including her sister, Joyce Donkor.

On April 20, 2010, Fr. Asamoah inflicted multiple knife wounds on Janet Dwamena Agyapomaa after their secretly amorous affair turned sour at Bodwesango, where he was a priest of St. Louis Parish.

The victim, who lives at Obuasi Pomposo, was rushed to AngloGold Ashanti Hospital (AGA) in Obuasi from St. Louis Health Centre in Bodwesango in the Adansi North District of the Ashanti Region, after the bloody attack.

According to a medical report, she had sustained 10 lacerations on the head with a punctured wound on the forehead, and bruises all over the body when she was brought to the hospital.

Police prosecutor ASP Seth Sewornu, had told the court during the convict's first appearance that the victim was an operator of a drinking bar, while the accused is a Catholic Priest at Bodwesango.

According to him, the two were in a sexual relationship for about two months when on April 20, 2010, Yaa Kwahu asked a witness in the case to accompany her to the lover priest.

Yaa Kwahu and the witness passed the night in the accused person's house, during which the two loved birds slept in one room as the witness was given another.

Prosecution indicated that the witness left the house the following day, “leaving the two lovers to enjoy their uninterrupted sanctimonious honeymoon.”

The honeymoon later turned sour and both parties agreed to end the relationship with GH¢500 as agreed compensation to the victim, which the accused duly paid.

No sooner was the compensation paid than a misunderstanding ensued between them, leading to a fight. Fr. Asamoah then used a mallet and a knife to inflict multiple and serious injuries all over the victim's body, especially on the head.

The accused, at a point, asked a witness if the victim was dead. The victim, who was in a pool of blood, overheard the accused.

Alarmed, she gathered some strength, got up and ran for cover by scaling a wall. The accused however chased her and unfortunately caught up with her, after which he hit her with a stick from all angles, amidst threats to kill her for hinting that she would expose his amorous lifestyle to authorities.

The accused, in the process, collected the GH¢500 compensation as well as the victim's personal mobile phone.

ASP Sewornu indicated that the accused person's actions were carefully planned and executed to ultimately end the life of the victim.

Yaa Kwahu, prosecution said, was rescued by a Good Samaritan, who intervened and rushed her to the St. Louis Health Centre at Bodwesango, which in turn referred her to the AGA hospital where she spent over a month on admission.

Fr. Asamoah was arrested and he admitted the offences in his caution statement to the police. He was charged and arraigned after police investigations.

 From Ernest Kofi Adu, Obuasi