Court fines man 400,000 cedis for assaulting ECG staff

Kuntanase (Ash), June 27, GNA - The Kuntanase magistrate's court on Thursday fined Yaw Boadu, a resident of Kuntanase 400,000 cedis for assaulting a staff of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) for disconnecting his light.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The court ordered that 200,000 cedis out of the fine should be given to Mr George Gidigidi, the ECG staff.

Police Chief Inspector Edward Osei told the court that Mr Gidigidi, a staff of the ECG stationed at Asante-Bekwai also had oversight responsibility for Kuntanase and its environs. He said on April 22, 2004, Mr Gidigidi disconnected the lights of one Mr Nyamekye, an arms and ammunition dealer, for not paying his electricity bills which totalled 500,000 cedis.

Chief Inspector Osei said following the disconnection, Mr Nyamekye made part payment and power was restored to the house and then paid the rest of the money later.

He said, however, that the reconnection fee of 45,000 cedis, which served as a penalty, was not paid and so on May 7, 2004, power to the house was disconnected again.

Chief Inspector Osei said just after the disconnection, Boadu, who lives in the house and was weeding round it, approached Mr Gidigidi wielding the cutlass he was using to weed and ordered him (Gidigidi) to kneel down after which he slapped him with the flat side of the cutlass. He said sensing danger, Mr Gidigidi took to his heels and was given a hot chase by the accused still wielding the cutlass.

The prosecutor said the fleeing ECG man in his desperation to save his life, left behind his working tools and a file containing official documents and made a report to the Kuntanase police, who arrested Boadu and after investigations, charged him.