Police set to prosecute couple who allegedly burned boy's fingers

Prosecutors in Kumasi say they have gathered enough evidence to ensure a deserving punishment for the couple accused of burning the fingers of a two-year-old boy.

The little boy lost all five fingers of his left hand after allegedly being brutally abused by Rita Oduro Oti and Richard Oduro Oti for eating in a neighbour’s house.

They were granted bail Thursday by a Kumasi Circuit Court after spending several days in police custody.

Prosecutor Supt Emmanuel Akonnor says the state takes the charges against the couple seriously.

“Even when you look at the condition of the bail, it was a GHC20, 000 with one surety, and the surety must be a civil servant. This is not a joke. The court has also taken a serious view that is why the bail condition was also put that way”, said Supt Akonnor.

However, lawyer for the accused couple, Gabriel Kodji says his also ready to go court to defend this clients.

“I do not think my clients have done what they have been charged for”, he said.

Meanwhile, father of the two-year-old boy has risen to the defence of the suspected abusers.

Nana Yaw told Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Thursday he ordered that his one-and-a-half-year-old son be sent to Mr and Mrs Rita Oti because the couple was extremely kind to him.

He is pleading with the police to release two who are currently in police detention.

Nana Yaw wants Nana Oti and his wife to be allowed to continue to take care of the boy whilst doctors attend to him.

Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Donkor last week broke the chilling story of a two-year-old boy in the Ashanti Regional capital who had become a victim of grisly abuse.

He said the boy was sent to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital on September 29, 2015 with his left hand wrapped with a dirty rag.

When the rag was removed, doctors observed the fingers were not functioning and, therefore, performed surgery to remove the dead fingers to save the rest of the hands.

The police arrested the boy's guardians on suspicions that the injury on the hand was caused by a hot iron.