Bishop Salifu Amoako, wife fined GH₵12,000 as court sentences son 6 months

The Family and Juvenile Court in Accra has imposed a fine of GH₵12,000 on Bishop Salifu Amoako and his wife, Mouha Amoako, for failing to adequately supervise their 16-year-old son, who was responsible for a fatal crash in East Legon.

The court also required the couple to sign an agreement committing to ensure proper guidance and discipline for their son. Furthermore, Bishop Amoako was directed to pay over GH₵8,000 in compensation for property damage, including the replacement of an ECG light pole destroyed in the accident.

The judgment was delivered after the teenager, who initially denied all eight charges against him—ranging from manslaughter to driving without a license—later admitted guilt.

Presiding Judge Bernice Mensimah Ackon sentenced the boy to six months at the Senior Correctional Centre, the maximum penalty stipulated under the Juvenile Justice Act 2003 (Act 653).

As part of the court's directives, the juvenile is prohibited from driving until he reaches the legal age of 18 and must report weekly to probation officers.

During the hearing, Assistant State Attorney Ebenezer Yaw Acquah revealed that the boy had been regularly allowed to drive family vehicles despite not having a driver’s license.

The tragic incident occurred on October 12, 2024, during the boy’s birthday celebration. He gained access to his mother’s Jaguar F-Pace Sport with assistance from a personal aide, Linda Bonsu Bempah.

Accompanied by a friend, the teenager drove recklessly through East Legon in a convoy of three SUVs. Upon reaching Dzane-Ashie Road, he sped into a T-junction on Mensah Wood Avenue, colliding with an Acura.

The crash caused both vehicles to ignite. Sadly, two 12-year-old girls in the Acura lost their lives, while the driver and a toddler narrowly escaped with the help of bystanders.