The Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Isaac Addo, has sentenced eight individuals involved in offensive conduct during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun to 500 penalty units (₵6,000) each, or in default, 24 months’ imprisonment.
The convicts — Mohammed Abubakari, 32; Tijani Mahamudu, 38; Prince Dzakpasu, 39; Anas Mohammed, 42; Mohammed Hamda, 35; Darko Otibu Samuel, 33; Musah Muntari, 46; and Ali Saeed, alias Bomba, 43 — all pleaded guilty to four counts of assault and were convicted on their own pleas.
In sentencing, the judge noted that the convicts showed remorse and did not waste the court’s time. He further admonished them to advocate against electoral violence.
“I’m also mindful of the fact that the effect of electoral violence can collapse or destroy a country. It is against this backdrop that I call on the youth, especially the convicts, to be advocates against electoral violence,” he cautioned.
Isaac Addo therefore fined each convict 500 penalty units for each of the four counts of assault. In default, they will serve a two-year jail term.
Lawyers for the accused persons described the ruling as a win, arguing that their clients had only acted in self-defense.
Background
On July 11, 2025, the complainants — Mavis Hawa Koomson, Majeed Mohammed Sanaa, and Chris Lloyd Nii Kwei, all members of the NPP — visited polling stations during the Ablekuma North rerun.
At the Methodist Church Polling Station, former Fisheries Minister Hawa Koomson and Nii Kwei were attacked and assaulted by the convicts. Security personnel at the scene intervened and rescued them, though Mr. Sanaa was also assaulted without provocation.
The victims reported the incident to the Odorkor Police Station and the Greater Accra Regional Criminal Investigations Department. They were issued medical forms and received hospital treatment.
Although the convicts initially denied the allegations in their caution statements, they later pleaded guilty in court.
Source: 3news.com