Robbery cases top criminal offences in Ashaiman-Report

Despite the tremendous strides been chalked by the institution of both the magistrate and circuit courts in the Ashaiman Municipality, criminal activities are still on the rise.

This came to the fore when a report about the current stance of the municipality presented at an annual stakeholders meeting by a High Court Registrar, Mr. Geoffrey Botchway demonstrated that a total of 544 criminal cases had been brought before the circuit court in 2021.

Out of the number,452, represents civil cases. Criminal activity within the municipality just as other places, ranges from robbery, stealing, causing harm, narcotics, defrauding by false pretense and sanitation-related offences.

Nefarious activities by notorious criminals within the municipality cut across robbery cases which forms 50%, defrauding by false pretense making 40% of cases received, stealing cases representing some 25% with narcotics taking 20% of the criminal case while fraudulent transaction in land and threat of harm and death compete for 10% and 15% respectively.

Various criminal activities within the municipality are age- specifics.

This means various criminal activities are engaged in by criminals related to a particular age bracket.

Whereas criminals between the ages 16 and 25 are mostly commits crime such as robbery, stealing and causing harm, people between ages of 25 and 45 years usually commits crime such as defrauding by false pretence and narcotics drugs, ages between 45 and 60, engage in fraudulent sale of land and land guard activities. Women are not left out, as they engage themselves in fraud, stealing and dishonestly receiving, thus, buying known stolen goods from bandits.

The efforts of the courts notwithstanding, justice delivery is continuously being hampered by a plethora of challenges. Ashaiman, being a cosmopolitan setting, has several people from different cultures with varing degrees of appreciation for law and order.

This is reflected in the number of lawsuits received by the courts for adjudication. As at May, 2021, the court received 544 criminal cases out of which 452 were civil cases.

Though, there are both district magistrate court and circuit courts within the municipality, the circuit court currently tries a wide range of cases.

The challenges ranges from logistics to infrastructure.

For instance, to expedite swift trials, police sometimes face difficulties in transporting accused persons on remands to court.

Excuses usually being given by police ranges from no means of transport to difficulty to reach witnesses to get to court to aid trail of cases expeditiously.

Sureties, he added sometimes also fail to bring accused to court.

Beyond the aforementioned, interference by opinion leaders coupled with deliberate avoidable delay tactics from lawyers also making delivery of justice arduous.

The report as presented by the High Court Registrar, Mr. Geoffrey Botchway suggested that choked cells within the municipality be decongested.

Mr. Botchway further appealed to the Municipal Assembly to make impress or budgetary allocations from Common Fund for the maintenance of the court premises making it safe for public good.

He also appealed for the expansion of the circuit into Circuit court A and B while relocating the District Magistrate court to a befitting location.