Trader convicted for bigamy

By Helena Selby

A trader has been sentenced to six months in prison for marrying a second wife, without annulling his previous legal marriage.
The accused person, Yaw Boamah Sarpong, who is married to the complainant under ordinance and with two children, was caught red-handed by his first wife getting engaged to one Nina.
He was charged with bigamy contrary to section 262 of Act 29/60. He pleaded guilty to the charge leveled against him and was convicted on his own plea before the court, presided over by Mrs. Sedinam Agbemeva.
The court, therefore, sentenced him to 25 penalty unit, an equivalent of GH¢300.00 and in default, 6months imprisonment in hard labour.
According to the prosecutor, ASP Sarah Acquah told the court that the accused person and the complainant were living as family with their two children, until after a misunderstanding, when the accused made the complainant to move to her parent’s house.
She said the complainant, however, on December 26, 2011, had information that the accused person was engaging another woman named Nina. “The complainant quickly went to the scene and realised her husband had actually engaged another woman.
The complainant then reported the case to the Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) and the accused person was arrested, the prosecutor added.
ASP Acquah mentioned that the accused person admitted the offence in his cautioned statement and said he had nothing doing with the complainant anymore.
Meanwhile, in the same court, a retired Economist has caused his wife to be arraigned before the court for allegedly stealing his personal and land documents.
The accused person, Ablavi Esinam Duhadzi allegedly stole document covering one plot of land with an Executive Ville, two plots of land with foundation and fence at Denu, both in Viepe in the Volta Region, six plots of land at Tokor and four plots of land at Pokuase.
The accused person allegedly denied stealing the document but was however discovered that she was selling some of the plots of land the stolen documents are covering. She was charged with stealing. However, her plea was not taken since her husband claimed to be no longer interested in the case; the accused person was then discharged.
The facts of the case are that one January 20, 2012 the complainant found out that his brief case containing his personal and land documents have been stolen from his bedroom which he shares with the accused person.
According to the prosecutor, ASP IAA Ahor the complainant enquired from his family as to who might have taken the documents but they all denied knowledge of it including the accused person.
“However on January 25, 2012, the complainant had information that his wife has sold his piece of land at Denu to two people and that she is having the document to the said land.
It was there that the complainant discovered his wife stole the document. A report was made to DOVVSU office in Nungua a suburb of Accra and the accused person was arrested,” the prosecutor added.