The Accra High Court has sentenced a retired soldier and a pastor to six months in prison after they were found guilty of manslaughter and conspiracy in connection with the death of a taxi driver over a disputed GH₵50 note.
The sentence was handed down on Friday, 21 February 2026, following a unanimous verdict by a seven-member jury. The court found both men guilty after years of legal proceedings stemming from an incident that occurred nearly eight years ago.
The tragic incident dates back to 1 March 2018, when 32-year-old taxi driver Solomon Dapaah stopped at a provisions shop in New Abiadjei, a suburb of Accra, to purchase a soft drink valued at GH₵10. He reportedly paid with a GH₵50 note.
The shop owner, who is the mother of one of the accused, suspected that the GH₵50 note was counterfeit and raised an alarm. This prompted Joseph Abusah, a retired military officer, and Benjamin Kofi Agbetiafah to pursue Dapaah’s taxi.
The chase ended on the outskirts of New Abiadjei when the taxi could no longer move. Court documents revealed that Abusah blocked the taxi with his pickup truck. During the ensuing confrontation, Dapaah was forcibly removed from his vehicle and assaulted.
The two men tied Dapaah’s hands and feet with rope and transported him to the Agbogba Police Station. Upon observing his serious condition, police officers escorted all three individuals to the Agbogba Clinic, where Dapaah was pronounced dead on arrival.
A post-mortem examination conducted on 13 March 2018 at the Police Hospital concluded that Dapaah died from a severe head injury resulting from lynching. The death was classified as unnatural.
The trial was presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo. After evaluating evidence presented by the prosecution and the defence, the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on charges of conspiracy and manslaughter — an offence that involves unlawful killing without intent to commit murder.
Justice Osei Marfo sentenced both men to six months’ imprisonment on each count, with the sentences to run concurrently. In determining the punishment, the court considered mitigation pleas from defence lawyers, who described the convicts as first-time offenders.
The case has drawn significant public attention, as it began with a minor commercial transaction but escalated into a fatal confrontation. It also reignited conversations about mob justice, the use of excessive force, and the importance of allowing law enforcement agencies to handle disputes.
With the sentencing concluded, the ruling brings closure to a case that has lingered in the courts for nearly eight years, while also serving as a reminder of the tragic consequences that can arise from suspicion and vigilantism.
