Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 1 October 2019

Source: ghananewsagency.org

Four granted bail over causing harm

File photo File photo

An Accra Circuit Court has granted four persons bail in the sum of GH ?10,000.00 each with two sureties for allegedly assaulting two house-helps and causing harm to them.

Henry Chinedu Inyamah, 37, and Abdul Djamah Taffa, 26, both students, Philip Obidike, 25, and Ezekiel Okonkwo, 21, both houseboys pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime, assault and causing harm.

They will come back to court on October 28.

Police Inspector Samuel Ahiabor told the court presided over by Mrs. Ruby Nash Adjeley Aryitey that Samuel Eke and Tonto Komlan alias Norke are the complainants in the case and residents at Trassaco Valley in Accra.

He said the complainants are house helps of Taffa’s parents who live in the same house with him at Trassaco Valley.

On September 6, this year, Taffa’s sister, Farida Abike Taffa, reported a theft case to the East Legon Police against the complainants. They were arrested and later released to Inyamah and Taffa on police enquiry bail.

The prosecution said Inyamah and Taffa held the complainants hostage and took them to Inyamah’s house at Adjiringanor, also a suburb of Accra, were they subjected them to severe beatings.

He said all the accused persons locked up Eke in a washroom whilst Komlan was taken back to Taffa’s house and locked up in a security guard room without food and water.

Eke sensing danger forced the washroom open and escaped into the guest room and when Inyamah and Taffa returned and found him, they brought him out for further beatings, chained him and fastened the chain with two padlocks.

Inspector Ahiabor said they then locked him up in a guard room and went back to Taffa’s house at Transaco Valley.

The first complainant started screaming due to the pains from the beatings which passers-by over heard and raised an alarm which attracted a large crowd in front of Inyamah’s house, he said.

He said the accused persons sensing danger as the result of the crowd that had gathered in front of his house, took cover in Taffa house but the mob pounced on them and beat them.

The mob’s action also caused damage to Inyamah’s vehicle. The timely arrival of the Police prevented the mob from causing further damage.

The Police rescued Inyamah, Eke, Komlan as well as arrested the rest of the accused persons and sent them to the Regional Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Ghana Police Service.

Police issued medical forms to the complainants who looked weak to attend hospital for treatment and so accompanied them.

Inspector Ahiabor said after investigations they were arraigned.