Chief Jailed 3 Months For ‘Chopping’ $150,000 Belonging To His Community
Osabarima Twiampomah III, the Chief of Banka in the Asante Akyem South Municipality of the Ashanti region, has been sentenced to three months in jail by an Accra High Court for fraudulently appropriating $150,000 earmarked for community development. The funds, donated by Gold Coast Company in 2010, were intended for developmental projects in the impoverished community, which lacks basic amenities such as toilet facilities.
According to the prosecution, the 65-year-old chief seized the funds, depriving his community of essential development. Despite initially denying receipt of the $150,000 cheque meant for a ten-year development plan, Osabarima Twiampomah III later confessed to the Chief of Akyem Abuakwa, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, that he had received the funds in November 2021.
In her judgment on Tuesday, High Court Judge Comfort K. Tasiame noted she was lenient in her sentencing due to the chief’s age. In addition to the three-month jail term, Nana Twiampomah III, also known as Frederick Kofi Frimpong in private life, has been fined two thousand penalty units. Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional five years of imprisonment.
Members of the Banka community who attended the court proceedings expressed satisfaction with the judgment, viewing it as a step towards justice and accountability.