Man gets 10 years for preconceiving to kill President Mahama

Accra, July 28, GNA - An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced one Charles Antwi, who was arrested on Sunday at the Ringway Assemblies of God Church, where President Mahama worships, for possessing firearms without lawful authority to 10 years imprisonment.

Charles, who was charged for possessing firearms without lawful authority, pleaded guilty to the charge with explanation, and was convicted on his own plea.

The court sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment in hard labour, and also ordered that the gun be destroyed by the investigator under the supervision of the court registrar by the close of day.

Charles in his explanation said he was a Ghanaian who had travelled across different countries and had noticed that the voting system was not the best for the countries, since most countries that do not go through the voting system have developed over the years and as such he had come back to rule the country.

Charles told the court that when he arrived in the country he went to the castle, then to the Parliament and finally to the Electoral Commission to inform them about his intention to rule the country.

He said exactly two months after he declared his intention President Mills died through his consistent prayers, and that encouraged him to fight for his right to become president of the country.

'I had to kill president Mahama to take over my lawful right, because he took over my seat when Former President Mills died. Even president Rawlings killed people before he became president', he stated.

Charles said he wanted to fight back to overthrow the current government and rule the country for it to develop as expected.

He told the court that the guns as well as the ammunitions were not registered even though he knew that he should have registered them but he had no time to do that since he wanted to fight for his right as soon as possible.

He again told the court that he got to know where the president fellowships through some soldiers at the castle, and Sunday was not his first visit to the church, but his fourth, all in search of the president to kill him.

'I went to the church four times, first without the gun, and the president was present, but on subsequent occasions when I took the gun to the church, the president did not show up,' he confessed.

The court presided over by Justice Francis Obiri delivering his sentence said although the convict is a first time offender people of his kind should be kept away from law abiding people because if he had been successful in his attempt he would have brought the country into anarchy and chaos.

He said Charles did not deserve to be shown mercy as mercy was shown to those who show mercy.

Mr Obiri said Charles had intended to either shot or kill the president and his attempt was a premeditated one.

He called on the security agencies to try as much as possible to protect the president, saying' we have all agreed to the practice of democracy and it is import to do our best to protect the constitution that protects the president and all other arms of government'.

The presiding judge also urged the security team at the presidency to beef up security around the president not only in public places and on public occasions but in places like churches.

The facts of the case as presented by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abraham Annor are that the convict is a Ghanaian and hails from Diesoabaa, in the Brong Ahafo Region.

He said on Sunday, July 26, he was found in the premises of the Ringway Gospel Assemblies of God Church, Osu fidgeting on a seat he was sitting.

DSP Annor said a witness in the case who was also in the church spotted Charles and when a search was conducted on him, a locally manufactured pistol and two rounds of ammunition were found on him.

The prosecution said the convict was subsequently arrested to assist investigation.

He said in the course of investigations, Charles admitted ownership of the gun and said he bought it from a national of Burkina Faso in Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region.

GNA