The Ada Magistrate Court presided over by Paulina Kwakyewa has referred a criminal case between Clement Ackwerh, the complainant, and Chief of Hwakpo, Isaac Buertey Pumplampu, and six other accomplices to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centre for an out-of-court settlement.

This decision by the court was arrived at after several appearances in court as a result of continuous show of errors and lapses on the part of the prosecutor and investigator in dealing with the case.

The court, in its determination, said the case before it, being a land dispute, would be more appropriately dealt with using ADR.

In 2021, Mr Isaac Buertey Pumplampu, and his alleged accomplices were nabbed by the former Sege District Police Commander, DSP George Aboagye, for allegedly illegally destroying a building under construction belonging to the complainant.

The adjudication of the case began at the Sege District Court and later referred to the Ada Magistrate Court, where consequently the ruling was made on March 16, 2022, following several adjournments.

Although the complainant prayed the court to permit him to tender in video evidence of the illegal demolition carried out by the accused persons, the Magistrate Judge, in her directive, said he [the complainant] could show that during hearings at the ADR to prove his case for a further determination.

The accused persons had told the court that they were not guilty of the charge of unlawful damage when the fact of the matter and charge was read out to them in court by the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Mamfo.

The court advised that the determination of the matter at the ADR be referred to it on May 5, this year.

The complainant and two witnesses in the case expressed unhappiness at the directive by the court "but we will respect the court. We will prove our case at the ADR," one of the witnesses said.

It would be recalled that a news report was carried on a rather dramatic showdown between the police prosecutor and investigator handling the case, trading words in court over what seemed to be errors on their respective parts during hearing sessions.