Family Accuses IGP

THE FAMILY of Mr. Emmanuel Nii Odartey, who was seriously brutalized by two policemen at Agona Swedru three years ago resulting in his incapacitation, has accused the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Patrick Acheampong of frustrating the work of an Accra High Court trying the case.

In the said case the IGP and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General have been dragged to court by the victim.

The family indicated that since they took the matter to court three years ago, the IGP had never appeared in court and the judge for Court 15 has not been charitable to them by always adjourning the case for long periods.

A family spokesperson, Mr. Isaac Nii Odartey, who is also the elder brother of Emmanuel, now 28, said they are currently so frustrated that they were losing confidence in the court because it seems the two government officials were being protected by the court.

They therefore appealed to the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship, Mrs. Georgina Wood to intervene for the court to expedite action on the case.

Isaac disclosed that the Attorney-General (A-G) had written to the victim's lawyer, questioning why he (A-G) had also been dragged into the issue.

Dr. Nii Okai Okantey, Principal Medical Officer of the Accident Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, in his final medical report on Emmanuel, then 26 years, described his condition as precarious and said Emmanuel had head injury and loss of hearing.

A current examination, according to Dr. Okantey, revealed that Emmanuel was ill, adopts antalgic position, is unable to hear with the left ear and partially deaf in the right ear, suffers Bradikinesia or slowed walking, left nasal obstruction and stiffness of the neck. He added that the victim as well complains of severe headache and that cotton wool had to be put in his left ear to soak up occasional bloody discharge.

Due to the high cost of medication, Isaac is appealing to well-meaning Ghanaians and institutions to come to their aid to save the life of Emmanuel as the court was not helping them to claim special damages and substantial compensation from the Police to cater for him for life.

It would be recalled that on March 27, 2005, Emmanuel, a store boy, was severely brutalized by Francis Tagar of the Agona Police and Samuel Nketia of the Bawjiase police because of an alleged faulty Tiger Head batteries sold to an errand boy sent by Tagar.

In anger Tagar came to Emmanuel to demand his money back and though the cost of the battery was ¢2,500, he collected ¢5,000 and left, without even giving back the battery he alleged was faulty.

He rather returned after a few minutes later with Nketia, arrested Emmanuel, put him in a Kia truck and beat him till they got to the Bawjiase police station. At the station, Emmanuel was reportedly handcuffed and severely beaten, with Tagar using a truncheon to hit his lower abdomen several times. While bleeding profusely from the nose and ears, he was lifted with the handcuff and hanged to the ceiling and the two policemen gave him 29 lashes.

It took a lady Inspector, who was afraid Emmanuel might die, to set him free.

The conduct of the policemen was reported to the IGP and they were brought down to Accra, where they admitted the offence and were ordered to pay ¢8million, being the amount spent on Emmanuel's medication so far at that time. The police officers have so far paid ¢3,700,000, leaving a balance of ¢4,300,000 which they have refused to pay, hence the court action.

By James S. A. Kwashie