Tarkwa: The Tarkwa District Magistrate Court One has sentenced Samuel Asamoah, a 25-year-old farmer, to 18 months of hard labor for unlawfully damaging a colleague's cocoa farm in Huniso. Asamoah pleaded guilty to the charges of destroying 68 cocoa trees belonging to Bukari Imoro, another farmer residing in Anokyekrom, a village near Huniso in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.
According to Ghana News Agency, Police Inspector Patrick Essien, who prosecuted the case, informed the court that both the complainant and the convict were farmers, with their farms located in different areas far apart from each other. In April 2025, Asamoah made two visits to Imoro's farm, where he chopped down the mature cocoa trees that were bearing fruits.
Inspector Essien explained that Imoro discovered the destruction when he visited his farm and immediately suspected Asamoah due to his previous behavior. Imoro reported the incident to village leaders, but Asamoah refused to attend the summoned meeting. The situation escalated when Asamoah was heard boasting in the community about the damage and making further threats.
The prosecutor detailed that after learning of Asamoah's admissions and threats, Imoro reported the case to the Tarkwa Police on April 6, 2025. Asamoah was subsequently arrested and, during police investigations, confessed to the act but failed to provide a coherent reason for his actions.