Court convicts man for obstruction of justice

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced Darison Mohammed Baba to a fine of GHC1,200.00 for intentionally obstructing one Yaa Dansoa Yeboah from giving evidence in court in default, he would serve three months imprisonment in hard labour.

Mohammed had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge but was found culpable after the trial and sentenced accordingly.

The Court presided over by Justice Jane Harriet Akweley Quaye, a High Court Judge sitting as an additional Circuit Court Judge heard that Dansoa is the second prosecution witness at a criminal trial titled The Republic versus Joseph Aryeetey and two others at the Accra High Court.

Police Chief Inspector Emmanuel Haligah, who held brief for Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) said the convict had used text message to pervert the course of justice in the case.

He said Mohammed is one of the accused persons standing trial in the case, thus, in the course of trial, EOCO received a complaint from Dansoa that Mohammed through a text message had threatened her not to testify in the case.

The prosecution said this caused fear in the witness and she refused to appear before the said Court to continue with her testimony.

He said upon this realization by the court of the conduct of the convict the Court subpoena the witness but she refused the second time to appear before it until a bench warrant was issued for her arrest.