George Ernest Asare, Kumasi.
A Kumasi Circuit Court, presided over by Mr Emmanuel Amo-Yartey, has convicted a business woman, Faustina Adusei, together with her daughter, Yvette Aboagye Kumi and sister, Victoria Ataa Serwaa Adusei, to serve two months jail term each for assaulting an official of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The three also prevented the IRS official from carrying out his official duties, heaping verbal abuses on him at a time he was executing his official responsibilities.
While the court convicted Faustina, 43 and Victoria, to serve two months jail term each with hard labour, it ordered Yvettee, who is a 16-year-old student to be sent to a juvenile court to be convicted to serve the two months jail term imposed on her.
Faustina, who operates a mini provision shop and a student’s hostel at Bomso in Kumasi, pleaded guilty to charges of failing to register her business and offensive conduct when she appeared before the court, and the court convicted her on her own plea.
Victoria, who was also charged with causing unlawful harm, obstructing public officials in the performance of their duties, and impeding the work of the IRS, pleaded guilty to the charges when she appeared before the court and was also convicted on her own plea.
Yvette, for her part, pleaded guilty to charges of assault on the public officer and obstructing an officer of the Internal Revenue Service in the performance of his duties and like the others, she was also convicted on her own plea.
Presenting the facts of the case before the court, Chief Inspector A K.Fandoh, who prosecuted, said while the complainants in the case are officials from the IRS, the three operate a mini provision shop and a hostel at Bomso, a Kumasi suburb.
He said on August 23, 2010, the IRS official went to collect revenue and sales tax from traders who operate their businesses at Bomso at a time Faustina had not paid any revenue for three consecutive years.
The prosecutor said notwithstanding the fact that the officers had regularly invited Faustina to honour her tax obligations, and also served her with several letters, she had refused to comply.
Chief Inspector Fandoh said when the officer went to the premises of Faustina to demand payment of her tax, Victoria and Yvettee, who were by then in the mini shop, told the officer that Faustina had gone out.
He said based on the information received, the officer decided to apply the law as prescribed by locking up the shop until Faustina settled her indebtedness, but in the process of locking the shop, Victoria and Yvettee obstructed him.
He said Victoria pushed him violently, causing him to tumble onto the ground breaking his right hand in the process.
He said as soon as the incident occurred, Faustina emerged from nowhere and assisted her sister and daughter to assault the officer who was lying helplessly on the ground by holding his manhood asking him to have sex with her (Faustina) so that she would have money to pay her tax.
He said when the officer managed to leave the premises, he lodged a complaint with the police who effected their arrest to assist in investigations.
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