ACCRA, GHANA – The Accra High Court (Criminal Division 3) has sentenced 68-year-old Kwame Tsoafonanyo to six months in prison with hard labour for manslaughter, nearly seven years after his initial arrest. The sentence was handed down on March 12, 2025, following his guilty plea under Section 239 of Act 30.
Tsoafonanyo was initially charged with murder by the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice in 2018, after he fatally shot Dzifa Wuame Sabu at a drinking spot located at Bawaleshie Pipeline, a suburb of Dodowa in Accra.
Though he was granted bail on October 10, 2023, Tsoafonanyo remained in remand custody due to an inability to meet the bail conditions. On February 25, 2025, during a court appearance, his Legal Aid counsel, Jeffrey Abbey Adamson, informed the court that the accused had opted to change his plea from not guilty to guilty of manslaughter.
Presiding Judge Justice Mary M.E. Yanzuh accepted the plea change after confirming all legal procedures had been followed. Tsoafonanyo was then convicted on his own plea.
In her sentencing, Justice Yanzuh highlighted several mitigating factors, including the convict’s age, his guilty plea which saved court time, the fact that he was a first-time offender, and the nearly seven years he had already spent in custody. She also noted that Tsoafonanyo had expressed remorse for his actions.
The case underscores ongoing challenges in Ghana’s criminal justice system, particularly regarding long remand periods and access to legal support.
