The mother of Charles Antwi, the man who was convicted by an Accra circuit court Tuesday for illegally possessing a gun, says he was mentally ill.
Speaking to Accra-based Joy FM hours after her son was convicted, Madam Afia Agyapongmaa said Antwi had had a mental problem for two years now.
She said at a point, he made reference to killing the President, but she did not take it seriously because of his poor mental state.
Madam Agyapongmaa said there had been attempts to seek help for Antwi at a prayer camp.
“It comes and goes”, she said of her son’s alleged mental illness, adding that she was surprised that her son was handed a 10-year jail term despite indications that he was mentally unstable.
Antwi was arrested on Sunday at the Ringway Gospel Centre branch of the Assemblies of God Church where the President John Mahama and his family worship regularly.
According to him, he had gone to the church to kill the president but the president was not in church on that day.
In his confession, the convict said he was fed up with the “dumsor” situation and had gone to Libya prior to attempting the assassination on the President.
He said he felt cheated by the President Mahama following the death of Prof Atta Mills since he believed he (Antwi) was supposed to be the next president of Ghana.
He told the court that the day he was picked up was the fourth time he had gone to the church to launch his attack but on the three occasions, the president was not present.
He said on a single occasion that the President showed up in church he (Antwi) did not have a gun.
He was convicted on one count of possessing a firearm without licence by the court presided over by Justice Francis Obiri.
