Lawyers for former Dome-Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo have petitioned the Attorney-General to transfer a criminal case over her shooting to the High Court, arguing the Adenta Circuit Court has no jurisdiction to hear it or grant bail.
In a petition dated June 25, 2026, and received by the Ministry of Justice on June 26, Marfo & Associates said Ms. Safo was shot at multiple times on June 21, 2026, while sitting in her vehicle in front of her brother’s house at Kwabenya.
The firm, acting for Ms. Safo as complainant, said she sustained “serious injuries on the left side of her face, back of the head, left ear, lower jaw and traces of gun bullets stuck in the skull of the head.” Gunshot marks were also found on her Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, valued at GH¢450,000, it said.
Jurisdiction challenge
The accused persons, including Israel Kwadwo Safo, also known as Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena, were arraigned before the Adenta Circuit Court on charges including Use of Offensive Weapon, Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, Prohibition of Vigilante Groups, Discharging Guns in Town, and Causing Unlawful Damage. All nine have pleaded not guilty.
But Marfo & Associates argued the main charge of “intentionally and unlawfully causing harm with use of an offensive weapon” is a first-degree felony “triable on indictment before the High Court, not the Circuit Court.”
“The Circuit Court therefore lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter, let alone consider an application for bail in respect of the Accused persons,” the petition said. It described the arraignment as “legally untenable.”
The lawyers asked the Attorney-General to call for the docket in Republic v. Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena & 8 Others, Criminal Case No. GR/AD/CC/03/0026/2026, and have it filed at the High Court “for the matter to go through full trial in an expeditious manner.”
Copies were sent to the Deputy Attorney-General, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Presiding Judge of the Adenta Circuit Court, and the Inspector-General of Police.
Family demands attempted murder charges
The petition came as Ms. Safo’s family called for tougher charges. Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, the family of the late Apostle Emeritus Professor Ing. Kwadwo Safo urged police to re-arrest Akofena and pursue attempted murder charges.
Family spokesperson Dr. Emmanuel Boakye said the current charges were inadequate despite “compelling evidence.”
“We are not blaming the court because the court acted on what the prosecution brought before it… none of the arrested guys who were wearing military uniforms was charged with attempted murder,” he said.
The Adenta Circuit Court on Monday, June 22, 2026, granted bail to Akofena and eight others in the sum of GH¢500,000 each, with two sureties, a decision that has drawn outrage from relatives. The family also described as “disturbing and insensitive” a video showing Akofena dancing after being granted bail.
Medical treatment continues
Ms. Safo has been referred to The Bank Hospital for further treatment after initial care at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, sources close to her said. Some pellets were removed from her face, head, ear, and jaw, but others remain embedded.
“It was not bullets; the injuries are from pellets that went through the car’s window,” a source said. She is also considering treatment abroad, according to the sources.
She was visited at the hospital on June 23, 2026, by Atiwa East MP Abena Osei Asare and Afigya Sekyere East MP Mavis Nkansah Boadu.
Prosecution’s case
Prosecutors say the shooting followed a standoff when armed men denied Ms. Safo access to a house where a ceremony was being held to install a successor to the late Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, founder of the Kristo Asafo Church.
They said six Mossberg pump-action guns, three pistols, 33 rounds of 9mm ammunition and 42 AA cartridges were recovered, none with licence or permit.
Further searches found two pistols with 20 rounds, a third with 13 rounds, and from Akofena’s house, 120 rounds of 9mm, 50 pieces of 40mm, and 25 pieces of 45mm ammunition, which he admitted owning.
Akofena, arrested on June 22, denied the offence and told investigators he had left before the shooting, the prosecution said.
Family rift surfaces
The incident has exposed tensions within the Kantanka family. Kwadwo Safo Jnr., the youngest son, said the disputes were damaging their legacy.
“Our late father left a very good legacy… Today, the moment you introduce yourself as a child or relative of Apostle Kwadwo Safo, people would want to dissociate themselves from you for fear that you have a weapon on you,” he said.
Public figure Richard “Osebo” Brown also called on the leadership of the Kristo Asafo Mission to uphold unity and ensure justice.
The Attorney-General’s office, the Chief Justice, and the Inspector-General of Police had not commented at the time of publication.
