The Ada Magistrate Court presided over by Her Worship Paulina Kwakyewa has referred a criminal case between Clement Ackwerh, the complainant, and the aleged self-styled chief of Hwakpo, Isaac Buertey Pumplampu, and six other accomplices to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre for an out-of-court settlement.
This decision by the court came after several attendance to the court as a result of continues show of errors and lapses on the part of prosecutor and investigator in dealing with the case
The court, in its determination, said the root cause of the case before it was a land dispute between the two parties and said the ADR would be able to get to the root cause to settle the matter.
In 2021, the self-styled chief and his accomplices were nabbed by the former Sege District Police Commander, DSP George Aboagye, for allegedly illegally destroying a building under construction, which was the property of the complainant, at Hwakpo.
The adjudication of the criminal case began at the Sege District Court, however, it was later referred to the Ada Magistrate Court, where after several adjournments, also referred the criminal case to the ADR on March 16, 2022.
Though the complainant prayed the court to permit him to tender in video evidence of the illegal demolition carried out by the accused persons, the Magistrate Judge, in her directive, said the complainant could show that at the ADR to prove his case for its determination.
The accused persons had told the court that they were not guilty of the charge of unlawful damage when the fact of the matter and charge was read to them in court by the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Mamfo.
The court advised that the determination of the matter at the ADR be referred to it on May 5, this year.
The complainant and two witnesses in the case expressed their unhappiness at the directive by the court to refer a criminal case to the ADR, “but we will respect the court. We will prove our case at the ADR,” one of the witnesses said.