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The suspect, Dramani Kwaku, was arrested for using his canoe to transport passengers to and from Ghana across the Oti river despite the closure of the Ghana’s borders.
Appearing before the Yendi Circuit court, the canoe operator was fined GHc12,000 or in default, serve four years imprisonment.
The Prosecution said the suspect used unapproved routes to move his passengers in a bid to outsmart patrolling security personnel.
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The prosecutor, Inspector Joseph Danso, said the canoe operator was caught in the act, to which he later admitted after interrogation.
“Some police officers from the Formed Police Unit under ‘Conquer first’ in the Chereponi district decided to patrol the banks of Oti river where most people cross in and out of Ghana as unapproved routes arrested the victim who was transporting passengers across the river using canoe into Ghana.
“He was arrested and upon interrogation, he admitted the offence and was charged with the offence,” Inspector Danso said.
Despite pleading guilty, the convict said he was not aware that Ghana’s borders were currently closed.
The judge, His Honour, Anthony Aduko Aidoo, said because the accused is a first-time offender, he is “sentenced to a fine of 1000 penalty units equivalent to GHS12,000. In default, the accused shall serve 4 years with hard labour in a prison sentence as the law stipulates.”