Ghc 5,000 Fine On Prison Ladies Is Too Small For Beating Me—Referee

Female Ghanaian referee Theresa Bremansu has express her displeasure over the fine given to Prison Ladies for assaultung her by one of their supporters.

Prison Ladies were fined an amount of Ghc 5,000 with Ghc2,000 going to Theresa Bremansu as compensation.

But according to the experienced referee, the fine is so small a punishment considering the severity of the beatings inflicted upon her.

"Honestly the GH¢5000 fine by the Normalization committee for the assault is not good. Supporters take the laws into their hands and they don’t get any severe punishments. I got beaten up for GH¢5000?," Bremansu told Happy FM.

"RAG as an Association has not done anything for me even since I got assaulted, It was the Vice President who has shown concern to me.

"I have paid for all expenses medically and even the police extract forms. I took care of myself. The only person from the GFA who contacted me when I got assaulted was Mr Alex Asante.

"It was the day after I was assaulted and he called to check if I have been to the hospital. Lawyer Naa Odofoley also called but she wants me to come to Accra for the finals and present medals to the players," she added.

Bremansu was assaulted by a prison officer when she officiated Prison ladies 1-0 lost to Ampem Darkoa and she claims she recognises her assaulter.

"The guy who assaulted me is called sergeant Baffour Awuah. He was not drunk when he was beating me. He is the only person I have an issue with not the GFA or RAG. We have laws in the country and I will exercise my rights as a citizen," she said.

"I haven’t gotten a penny from the match that I was beaten up and I don’t even know how much I am supposed to get from officiating the games."

Prison Ladies have been ordered by the GFA Disciplinary Committee to report the supporter who abused the referee or face further punishment.

"The Club is ordered to produce the assaulter identified as belonging to the Club within 7 days from April 23 2019 before the police station with jurisdiction for the purposes of prosecution. The Club shall accordingly file to the GFA a written report of compliance with this order not later than May 2, 2019," reads the official statement from the Disciplinary Committee.

"The Club shall be liable to a further sanction of 2 home match ban in any competition of the GFA anytime from the date of this decision, upon failure to fully comply with the orders herein."

According to the Disciplinary Committee, Prison Ladies team masseur and one other player who were linked to the assault were found not to be guilty by the Committee.

"On the player and team masseur (the accused) are acquitted and discharged on all counts. Though the Disciplinary Committee finds that their testimonies were not credible and full of inconsistencies, they are acquitted on procedural technical grounds particularly because of a patent defect in the charge preferred by the Prosecutor and also that it has not been proved beyond doubt that they were directly involved in the assault.

"That notwithstanding, the fact of the assault and the involvement of persons associated with the club is positively established by the evidence adduced before the Disciplinary Committee including documentary evidence by way of the exhibits and official reports."