An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced one Charles
Antwi, who was arrested on Sunday at the Ringway
Assemblies of God Church, where President
Mahama worships, for possessing firearms without
lawful authority to 10 years imprisonment.
Charles, who was charged for possessing firearms
without lawful authority, pleaded guilty to the
charge with explanation, and was convicted on his
own plea.
The court sentenced him to 10 years imprisonment
in hard labour, and also ordered that the gun be
destroyed by the investigator under the
supervision of the court registrar by the close of
day.
Charles in his explanation said he was a Ghanaian
who had travelled across different countries and
had noticed that the voting system was not the
best for the countries, since most countries that do
not go through the voting system have developed
over the years and as such he had come back to
rule the country.
Charles told the court that when he arrived in the
country he went to the castle, then to the
Parliament and finally to the Electoral Commission
to inform them about his intention to rule the
country.
He said exactly two months after he declared his
intention President Mills died through his
consistent prayers, and that encouraged him to
fight for his right to become president of the
country.
“I had to kill president Mahama to take over my
lawful right, because he took over my seat when
Former President Mills died. Even president
Rawlings killed people before he became
president”, he stated.
Charles said he wanted to fight back to overthrow
the current government and rule the country for it
to develop as expected.
He told the court that the guns as well as the
ammunitions were not registered even though he
knew that he should have registered them but he
had no time to do that since he wanted to fight for
his right as soon as possible.
He again told the court that he got to know where
the president fellowships through some soldiers at
the castle, and Sunday was not his first visit to the
church, but his fourth, all in search of the president
to kill him.
“I went to the church four times, first without the
gun, and the president was present, but on
subsequent occasions when I took the gun to the
church, the president did not show up,” he
confessed.
The court presided over by Justice Francis Obiri
delivering his sentence said although the convict
is a first time offender people of his kind should be
kept away from law abiding people because if he
had been successful in his attempt he would have
brought the country into anarchy and chaos.
He said Charles did not deserve to be shown
mercy as mercy was shown to those who show
mercy.
Mr Obiri said Charles had intended to either shot
or kill the president and his attempt was a
premeditated one.
He called on the security agencies to try as much
as possible to protect the president, saying” we
have all agreed to the practice of democracy and it
is import to do our best to protect the constitution
that protects the president and all other arms of
government”.
The presiding judge also urged the security team
at the presidency to beef up security around the
president not only in public places and on public
occasions but in places like churches.
The facts of the case as presented by Deputy
Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abraham Annor are
that the convict is a Ghanaian and hails from
Diesoabaa, in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He said on Sunday, July 26, he was found in the
premises of the Ringway Gospel Assemblies of God
Church, Osu fidgeting on a seat he was sitting.
DSP Annor said a witness in the case who was
also in the church spotted Charles and when a
search was conducted on him, a locally
manufactured pistol and two rounds of ammunition
were found on him.
The prosecution said the convict was subsequently
arrested to assist investigation.
He said in the course of investigations, Charles
admitted ownership of the gun and said he bought
it from a national of Burkina Faso in Nkoranza in
the Brong Ahafo Region.
