Appeal of Convicted Murderer Dismissed and Other Legal news

On Publication of False News : Hopeson Adorye Admitted to Bail

On 10^th may 2024 Hopeson Adorye, a political player and former staunch member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) now the Director of special duties for the Alliance for Revolutionary Change revealed that he together with others, during the 2016 election, detonated dynamites in some parts of the Volta Region to purposely scare voters away voting thereby facilitating the NPP’s victory in that year’s election.

Following his statement, Hopson Adorye was arrested by the Ghana Police on 22^nd May, 2024 and charged with publication of false news and held in custody at the ministries police station. on 23^rd May, 2024 he was arraigned before the Dansoman Circuit Court, where he was granted bail to the sum of GHC 20,000 with two sureties and he is to report to the police station every Monday to assist in further investigations.

Man Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Murdering Volunteer Firefighter.

On 23^rd May 2024, a 22-year-old street racer, Jeremy Rocha was sentenced by an Adams County court to life imprisonment for the shooting and killing of a volunteer fire fighter.  The incident occurred in June 2022, when Jeremy Rocha shot and killed John Jaros, the Assistant Chief of the Glen Haven Area Volunteer Firefighter Department in Aurora following a street racing incident.  

While Rocha insisted the shooting was in self-defense and claimed Jaros rammed into his new Mustang car when he was street racing against a black Camaro, a 17^th Judicial District Jury found him guilty of first-degree murder with extreme indifference.

Jeffery Ruff, Adams County District Court Judge sentenced Rocha to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Court Acquits Oil Marketer Charged with $100,000 Fraud

On 21^st May 2024, the Lagos Federal High court acquitted and discharged Aleem Suleiman Olaitan, an Oil Marketer who was charged with a $100,000 fraud. In his judgment, Justice Anka held that the prosecution woefully failed to prove every ingredient of allegations beyond rea­sonable doubt. The judge further ordered the police to release all properties seized from Mr. Olaitan.

Delivering his judgment, the Judge noted that the testimonies of witnesses paraded by the prosecution were not germane to the offences charged and therefore failed to established a prima facie case against the defendant.

Appeal of Mother Convicted for The Murder of Two-Year Old Daughter Denied

On May 23^rd 2024, the Johannesburg High Court upheld the prison sentence of a woman found guilty of murdering her two-year old daughter. The mother, Rochelle Botha prayed the court to reduce her 25-year prison sentence.

A trial court earlier had convicted Rochelle Botha and her boyfriend of murder, rape, attempted murder, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect and were handed life imprisonment and 25 years’ imprisonment respectively.

Following their sentences, Rochelle Botha and her boyfriend, Stefan van Niekerk both applied for leave to appeal her sentence but was same summarily rejected.