A Bekwai Circuit Court has sentenced a 27 year old houseboy, Ernest Agyei, to 84 months in prison with hard labour for carrying out an acid attack on a senior high school leaver. The court also ordered him to pay 500 penalty units, equivalent to six thousand Ghana cedis, as compensation to the victim.
The case stems from an incident that occurred on December 22, 2024, at Pakyi No. 2 in the Ashanti Region. According to evidence presented in court, the victim, Benjamin Asante, a former student of Yamfo Anglican Senior High School, was part of a group involved in cleaning tiles using acid. During the exercise, a disagreement broke out among the workers.
Prosecutors told the court that Ernest Agyei first engaged in a heated argument with another worker, Kwadwo Tawiah. When Benjamin Asante refused to take sides or intervene in the dispute, Agyei reportedly turned his anger on him, verbally abusing him in the process. The confrontation quickly escalated.
In the course of the argument, Agyei allegedly picked up a container holding acid and poured it on Asante. The victim sustained severe burns and was rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, where he spent approximately three months receiving medical treatment for his injuries.
Agyei pleaded not guilty during the trial and claimed the incident was accidental. However, after hearing testimonies and reviewing the evidence, the presiding judge, Isaac Apeatu, rejected his defence. The court concluded that the attack was deliberate, especially in light of the prior confrontation between the accused and the victim.
Before sentencing, the prosecution urged the court to impose a stiff punishment to serve as a deterrent to others, noting the seriousness of acid attacks and their lasting physical and emotional impact on victims. Agyei pleaded for leniency, but the court ruled that the gravity of the offence warranted a custodial sentence.
