A 44-year-old self-proclaimed Imam who allegedly threatened to kill his estranged wife has been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court.
Mohammed Abubakar Imam Lanson alias Andre was granted bail in the sum of GHC100,000 with two sureties to be justified.
The court, presided over by Mr. Isaac Addo, ordered Lanson to deposit his passport at the court’s registry until further notice.
Charged with threat of death, Lanson has pleaded not guilty.
Lanson was granted bail after his counsel, Mr. Theophilus Donkor, moved for it on Monday September 2, 2024.
Mr. Donkor told the court that Lanson, a businessman, had sureties who would execute his bail, and that his client had fixed place of residence and was gainfully employed.
According to the counsel, Lanson was not a flight risk, and he was ready and prepared to ensure that the trial was completed quickly.
He drew the court’s attention to the fact that Lanson had other children who depended on him.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer, told the court that Lanson’s bail should not be “soft,” and that the accused should appear to stand trial.
The amended facts as narrated by Chief Inspector Lawer, was that the complainant, Maimuna Sarki Abubakar, is a social worker and a Nigerian national living in the United Kingdom.
The prosecution said Lanson lives in Kumasi, Ashanti Region.
According to prosecution Abubakar is Lanson’s estranged wife.
In January 2020, Lanson contacted Abubakar over social media and began conversing with her.
According to the prosecution, Lanson portrayed himself to Abubakar as an Imam of a mosque and convinced her to marry him, to which she accepted.
The court heard that prior to their separation, Abubakar purchased a parcel of land in East Trassaco through Lanson and built a one-story residential building on it.
According to the prosecution, Abubakar furnished the house and returned to the UK.
Whenever Abubakar came to Ghana to meet Lanson, she stayed in the house with him.
In 2020, Lanson persuaded Abubakar to buy and ship a 2020 Chevrolet Silverado and a 2019 Infinity CPX vehicles to him in Ghana to sell and use the proceeds to purchase another parcel of land in Adjiriganor for her.
The prosecution said Abubakar bought the vehicles and had them sent to Lanson.
According to the prosecutor, Lanson sold the vehicles and used the proceeds to buy four plots of land at Adjiriganor.
However, Lanson had the lease documents registered in his name rather than Abubakar’s.
“Accused person upon realizing that the complainant had invested so much in the Trassaco house, the land other properties she bought in Ghana, started abusing her.
Lanson physically assaulted and injured Abubakar in October 2022, and then threatened to kill her without provocation, the court was told.
The prosecution said Lanson said, “I have scammed you; I am taking over your building and all your properties here in Ghana, including your daughter. If you dare get closer to these properties again, I will kill you.”
The court also heard that Abubakar was forced to relocate to the United Kingdom out of concern for her life.
The prosecution said that Abubakar managed to get a caretaker, Kofi Mensah Omani, a witness in the case, to live in the property but was forced out by Lanson.
On September 15, 2023, Abubakar authorized her cousin, Abubakar Sambo, to report the incident to the police, and Lanson was arrested on November 1, 2023.
The prosecution said investigations were ongoing.
GNA
