A Circuit Court at Dormaa-Ahenkro in the Bono Region has imposed a fine of GHC600 on Kwabena Damoah, a 45-year-old businessman for allowing his pigs to stray and destroyed an okro farm.
In default, the convict will serve a three-month jail term.
Damoah pleaded not guilty to the charge of willfully allowing his animals to stray, but the court presided by Madam Philomena Ansah Asiedu found him guilty, and convicted him accordingly.
Prosecuting, Mr Kwadwo Akamanda, the Dormaa Municipal Environmental Health Analyst and Prosecutor told the court the convict is a businessman in the Dormaa Central Municipality and the complainant is a-66-year-old pensioner and a farmer at MS, a suburb of Dormaa-Ahenkro.
He said the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit of the Assembly received a complaint from the complainant that the convict had deliberately allowed his animals (pigs) to destroy his two and half acre of okro farm located at MS.
Mr Akamanda said the convict was invited to the Environmental Health office on January 5, 2024 and he admitted the animals belong to him and he would keep the pigs in the pen.
On January 18, 2024 around 1600 hours the complainant rang to inform the office that the animals had returned to the farm and destroyed his crops, the prosecutor said, stating that three officers of the Unit visited the farm and found about 20 pigs feeding in the okro farm.
Mr Akamanda said the convict had failed to heed to several warnings not to allow his animals to stray and the unit issued a criminal summons for the convicts to appear before the court.
The prosecutor prayed the court to award a compensation to the complainant to recover his farm.
