A 21 YEAR old man who out of jealousy set his lover�s clothes together with a kiosk in which she was sleeping with her sister and one year old daughter on fire, has been dragged before Tema Circuit Court �B� presided over by Lorinda Owusu.
According to the court, Emmanuel Kojo Dogbe, a mason who used to live at Cambodia at Tema Community 18 with his lover and her sister, took the decision because he wanted to take back all the gifts he bought for her after the relationship turned sour.
He decided that if since she did not want him anymore he would not allow her to go away with the gifts he bought for her.
Presenting the facts of the case in court, Prosecutor Inspector Theresa Adjei said the complainant�s junior sister Happy Maglo was the accused person�s boyfriend and the pair lived together for over three years.
She said three months ago, Happy broke up with the accused telling him she was no longer interested in him.
She consequently packed her bags and left the accused person�s house. She later moved into her sister�s kiosk with her daughter and another sister.
The prosecutor said the complainant came back home on March 18 at about 10am and detected that someone had created a hole through the plywood covering the front of the kiosk but did not see any one around.
She added that around 1:00am on March 19, the accused came back to the kiosk with an empty cement bag and placed it in front of the closed entrance to the kiosk. He reportedly collected the clothes he bought for his former girlfriend, together with other dresses that had been left outside the kiosk and placed them on the cement bag. He then set the place on fire and left the scene.
Inspector Adjei added that the fire spread quickly but fortunately the complainant and her family were able to exit the kiosk just in time. She told the court that neighbours were called to the scene and the fire was put out.
The complainant the prosecutor noted saw that most of the items burnt were that of her sister�s and therefore suspected the accused might be the one behind the arson attack.
She subsequently confronted the accused who admitted having burnt the items including the kiosk since he bought most of it.
The case was reported at the police station and accused was arrested.
He admitted the offence in his caution statement and was accordingly charged.
He however pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the court and has been remanded into police custody to appear at a later date.
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