Two persons have been sentenced to six months each in prison for faking and selling agro-chemicals belonging to Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo, by the Juaso Circuit Court.
The two, Kwadwo Effah, trader and Emmanuel Ayivi, driver, were also sentenced to a fine of GH¢6,000 each and in default would serve two years each in prison.
They pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to sell someone’s product and reproduction of someone’s product without authority.
Chief Inspector Dela Amenuvor, prosecuting, told the court presided over by Nana Asantewaa Atakorah, that the complainant, James Nsiah was a Chief Security Officer of the Kristo Asafo Church in the Ashanti Region.
He said the Founder and Leader of the Kristo Asafo Church had produced some agro-chemicals
which were yet to be commissioned, but some unscrupulous people had been faking and selling the products with the label “AkateSuro Africa Star,” the label of the leader of the church.
To clamp down on the illegal activity, a message was relayed to members of the church across the country to be on the lookout for the perpetrators, the prosecution told the court.
Chief Inspector Amenuvor said on June 22 at about 7:30 AM, one Kwame Agyei Asamoah, a witness in the case, was approached by Ayivi with some agro-chemicals with the label of Apostle KwadwoSafo.
When he enquired about the source of the chemicals, he mentioned the name of Effah, prompting him to call the Chief Security of the church who arranged for the arrest of the Ayivi.
Ayivi assisted the police to arrest Effah and a taxicab with registration number GS 9159 which was used to convey the chemicals to farmers.
The police retrieved 87 insecticide powder, 24 labelled bottles of agro- chemicals as well as 13 unlabelled chemicals from the cab.
Effah in his caution statement admitted reproducing the products and acted together with Ayivi to sell same to farmers without authorisation from the original manufacturers.
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE, KUMASI
