A 16-year-old student of the Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School (OKESS) has been granted bail in the sum of GH¢50,000 by the Mamponteng District Court after he was found in possession of a locally manufactured pistol on campus.
Presiding judge, Her Worship Natacha Abena Tuffour, also granted bail of GH¢30,000 to the boy’s stepfather, Mr. Daniel Owusu Baafi, after the teenager alleged during police investigations that the firearm belonged to him.
The bail conditions require each of the accused persons to provide two sureties. For the student, at least one of the sureties must be a government worker or a senior employee earning not less than GH¢4,000 a month. Mr. Owusu Baafi is subject to similar conditions, with the income threshold for one of his sureties set at GH¢3,000.
The pleas of both individuals were not taken during Wednesday’s hearing, as police continue with their investigations.
According to the facts presented in court, the incident occurred on May 14, 2025, when the Assistant Headmaster of OKESS reportedly discovered the weapon in the possession of the student while on school premises. The student was immediately handed over to police in the Ashanti Region.
Police investigations led to the arrest of the stepfather, who is said to be a pastor. The two were initially released on police enquiry bail before formal charges were brought against them under Section 192 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), which prohibits unlawful possession of firearms.
During the court proceedings, police prosecutors revealed that Mr. Owusu Baafi denied ownership of the pistol in his caution statement. He claimed the weapon had originally belonged to his late uncle, who passed away about a year ago.
He further explained that the gun was stored in the uncle’s room, which the teenager later took over. It is from this room, according to the police, that the student is believed to have accessed the weapon.
The case has been adjourned to June 17, 2025, to allow further investigations.
