Litigants, lawyers stranded after Sunyani courts fire

Justice delivery has been disrupted at the Sunyani Circuit Court ‘A’ and District Magistrate Court ‘B’ after the devastating fire that gutted the facility and reduced case files and important records to ashes.

What would have been another busy Monday morning at the courts instead became a quiet and sad scene.

The courts premises turned into a scene of grief, confusion and despair as litigants and court officials struggled to come to terms with last Sunday’s fire outbreak.

The court premises, often full of lawyers, litigants and other court officials, was left in ruins yesterday morning. 

Burnt walls, ashes and broken parts of the building were all that remained.

The entire court premises was silent like a cemetery.

Shock, anxiety

Some litigants, unaware of Sunday’s midnight fire, arrived at the courts early, hoping to have their cases heard, only to be met with shock and anxiety at the sight of the destroyed facility.

At the burnt court premises, one official was stationed to direct litigants to the High Court, where management had temporarily relocated for use.

Many approached him with questions, looking confused and frustrated before leaving for the new location.

Some of the litigants, who spoke to the Daily Graphic, expressed fear that their case files might have been destroyed in the fire.

Others complained about the cost of travelling from one court to another.

A litigant, Patrick Adombila, who had travelled from Atronie to the District Magistrate Court, was left shocked and frustrated.

“I came very early and spent money to get here.

Now, they are asking me to go to the High Court. This is very hard for me,” he said.

Another litigant, Moro Yussif, who was looking worried with his legal document in a brown envelope, also shared his fears.

“I was ready for my case today,” he said. “Now I don’t know what will happen. I am very worried.”

Negative effects

The fire has negatively affected the work of the courts, as judges have now moved their sittings to the Sunyani High Court.

This sudden change has brought stress and travelling costs to many people.

When the Daily Graphic visited the Sunyani High Court, where litigants had been directed, it observed that a desk had been set up to reschedule their hearing dates.

Meanwhile, the police have declared the place a crime scene and commenced investigation into the matter.

Checks from the Bono Regional Command of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) indicated that investigation into the fire incident had gone far.

Background

The destruction followed a Sunday midnight fire that razed the Sunyani Circuit Court ‘A’ and District Magistrate Court ‘B’ building, destroying vital court materials and infrastructure.

The blaze, which started around 1 a.m., gutted the entire facility, leaving courtrooms filled with ashes and debris, with parts of the roof caving in and walls blackened by smoke.

Important materials, including case files, legal documents, computers and office equipment, were completely burnt, with some records reduced to ashes.

Fire personnel battled the fire for about eight hours before bringing it under control, although their efforts were hampered by shortage of water.