The 52-year-old chief of Bosomkyekye, Nana Sarpong Ofori Gyima II, has been fined GH¢90,000 by the Nsuta Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region after pleading guilty to unlawfully alienating portions of family land without the consent of its owners.
The court, presided over by Simon Nketiah Gagah, sentenced the farmer on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, and ordered him to pay the fine or serve seven years in prison in default.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Owusu Kobi Moses, told the court that the complainant, Nana Osei Bonsu, a 77-year-old businessman and head of the Asona family clan of Yonso-Jamasi, was the rightful owner of the land in question.
According to the prosecution, in 1996, the late chief of Bosomkyekye, Nana Kwabena Ofori, alienated 400 acres of farmland to a man identified as Asare for GH¢25,000 for farming purposes.
The late chief allegedly failed to complete the necessary documentation, leading to Asare’s arrest.
The prosecution said Nana Osei Bonsu subsequently paid the GH¢25,000 to Asare, after which the late chief transferred his interest in the land to him.
Nana Osei Bonsu later permitted members of the family to cultivate the land but expressly instructed them not to sell any portion of it.
The court heard that Nana Sarpong Ofori Gyima II succeeded his uncle as chief in 2018 with the support of Nana Osei Bonsu.
However, the prosecution alleged that in 2024, the chief sold two acres of the land to Alfamrup Trans Enterprise and another 40 acres to Yo’El Farms without consulting or obtaining the consent of the complainant.
The two parcels were reportedly acquired for poultry and meat-processing activities.
Following the alleged transactions, Nana Osei Bonsu reported the matter to the Regional Criminal Investigations Department in Mampong, leading to the chief being invited to assist with investigations.
The prosecution said the chief admitted to the offence during interrogation but claimed he had acted on the instructions of the late Paramount Chief of Mampong, Daasebre Osei Bonsu II.
He was subsequently asked to produce copies of documents he had allegedly issued to the two companies but failed to provide them.
In sentencing, the court noted that Nana Sarpong Ofori Gyima II, as a traditional leader, ought to have known better. The court also took into account his admission that he had alienated the land without the knowledge or consent of the family.
The court said the sentence was intended to serve as a deterrent to others who may engage in similar conduct.
