Chief ordered to pay GH¢90,000 over illegal sale of family land

The Nsuta Circuit Court has fined the chief of Bosomkyekye, Nana Sarpong Ofori Gyima II, GH¢90,000 after he admitted unlawfully alienating portions of family land without the consent of its owners.

The 52-year-old farmer will serve seven years in prison if he fails to pay the fine.

The sentence was delivered on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, by Simon Nketiah Gagah, the presiding judge of the Nsuta Circuit Court in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region.

The case involved land belonging to the Asona family clan of Yonso-Jamasi.

Chief Inspector Owusu Kobi Moses, who led the prosecution, told the court that the complainant, Nana Osei Bonsu, is a 77-year-old businessman and head of the family.

According to the prosecution, the dispute traces back to 1996, when the late chief of Bosomkyekye, Nana Kwabena Ofori, gave out 400 acres of farmland to one Asare for GH¢25,000.

The land was intended for farming purposes.

The late chief, however, allegedly failed to complete the necessary documentation, which later led to Asare’s arrest.

The prosecution said Nana Osei Bonsu then paid GH¢25,000 to Asare, after which the late chief transferred his interest in the land to him.

The complainant subsequently allowed members of the family to farm on the land but made it clear that no portion should be sold.

The court heard that Nana Sarpong Ofori Gyima II became chief in 2018 after succeeding his uncle, with support from the complainant.

However, in 2024, he allegedly gave out two acres of the land to Alfamrup Trans Enterprise and another 40 acres to Yo’El Farms.

The prosecution said the allocations were made without the knowledge or consent of the complainant.

The land was reportedly intended for poultry and meat-processing projects.

Nana Osei Bonsu later reported the matter to the Regional Criminal Investigations Department in Mampong.

The chief was invited to assist investigations and, according to the prosecution, admitted during interrogation that he had alienated the land.

He, however, claimed he acted on instructions from the late Paramount Chief of Mampong, Daasebre Osei Bonsu II.

The prosecution said the accused was asked to produce copies of documents allegedly issued to the two companies but failed to do so.

In sentencing him, the court said Nana Sarpong Ofori Gyima II, as a traditional leader, ought to have known better.

The court noted that he had admitted giving out the land without the knowledge and consent of the family.

It said the sentence was meant to deter others from engaging in similar conduct.