The chief linguist of Vakpo in the North Dayi District of the Volta Region, Evans Siale, 57, has been convicted by a District Magistrate Court at Vakpo and fined GH¢4,800 for defrauding by false pretences.
The court, presided over by Ms Comfort Asamoah Sarpong, sentenced the linguist after he pleaded guilty to the charge.
In default of payment, he will serve a four-month custodial sentence.
Siale, who had earlier jumped police bail and failed to appear in court, refunded the GH¢8,000 he had taken from the complainant, together with 12 bottles of gin, prior to sentencing.
Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isaac Owusu Ababio told the court that in December 2025, the accused collected GH¢8,000 and 12 bottles of gin from one Sarah Obimpeh under the pretext of filing a summons before the Vakpo Traditional Council on behalf of her family.
The prosecution said the request followed an incident in which members of another family allegedly entered the Obimpeh family house to perform what were described as strange rituals.
According to the prosecutor, the linguist assured the family that he would file the summons without delay but failed to do so.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police, leading to Siale’s arrest.
The court heard that Siale admitted the offence in his caution statement to the police and was granted bail pending trial.
However, when the case was called on April 1, 2026, he failed to appear, prompting the court to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.
In a plea for mitigation, defence counsel Ernest Dela Akartey urged the court to be lenient, noting that his client had refunded the money and the items taken from the complainant.
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