The man, who pleaded guilty to the charge of possessing firearm without lawful authority, and accordingly convicted by the court, will spend seven months in jail should he fail to pay the fine.
Mr. Boakye told the court that he bought the gun at the cost of GHC100 from a man he met in Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region while returning from the Northern Region where he had gone to bury her daughter.
According to him, he bought the gun to protect his chicken coop which has been under attack from rodents, hence prayed the court presided over by Mrs Afia Adu-Amankwah to temper justice with mercy.
The court in sentencing him said it took cognisance of the fact that Boakye is a family man and has no previous criminal record, adding that he did not waste the court’s time.
The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Mr Felix Akowuah, told the court that Mr. Boakye was arrested by the Police Highway Patrol team on duty on the Techiman-Kumasi road on September 20 at about 3:30am.
According to the prosecution, a search conducted on the Boakye revealed the locally manufactured pistol concealed in a bag hanging around his neck and upon questioning he claimed ownership. He was then arrested for by the patrol team
By Stephen Kwabena Effah/3news.com/Ghana
]]>