Man who wanted to kill President Mahama jailed 10 years

An Accra Circuit Court has found guilty, a 36-year-old man who confessed he wanted to kill President Mahama of a second-degree felony.

He has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

The man, Charles Antwi, carried a gun to the Ringway Gospel Centre branch of Assemblies of God Church, where President Mahama and his family fellowship.

The incident happened during Church service Sunday but the President and the first lady were absent at the time.

Joy News’ Kwakye Afreh-Nuamah who was in court today reports that Charles Antwi appeared unrepentant  as he showed no sign of remorse when he was ushered in by security personnel.

The man was charged with possession of firearms without lawful excuse contrary to Section 11 of NRCD 9 (1972) but pleaded not guilty. Ironically, he confessed to the court that he had indeed wanted to kill the president.

He went further to give the court an idea of why he carried the gun to the church on that day.

According to him, he had travelled to Libya and some countries perceived to be undemocratic, and yet a democratic country like Ghana, it’s development is unparalleled to them, making nonsense of the country’s current political dispensation.

Charles Antwi who had inherent desire of becoming Ghana’s president indicated that he hatched the plan to topple the presidency dating back to the late Prof. Atta Mills’ era. His attempts of seeing his aspiration through was thwarted in the past when he tried to gain audience with Atta Mills at the Christianborg Castle, then seat of government.

When President Mills died in July 2012, he felt it was time to realize his dream but was disappointed when Mahama ascended to the throne. He has since not been at peace with himself, strategizing how to oust Ghana’s president.

So for three consecutive Sundays, he had been buying his time at the president’s church to strike at the opportune moment. Unfortunately for him, his fidgety mannerism gave him out on Sunday, July 26, 2015 and was accosted by the security details of the Chief Justice who worships in the same church.

Charles had been planning to carry through his threat with a double bar pistol he acquired from a Burkinabe in the Brong Ahafo Region.

Though he had no legal representation, a lawyer, who is friend of the court, pleaded with the judge to get Charles Antwi examined by a psychiatrist. But his plea was not taken.

Even though Charles Antwi plead not guilty, the court convicted him based on his own confession. He was handed 10 years jail term.

source:

myjoyonline.com