Crime & Punishment of Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Source: Kwabena Adu Koranteng

Police orders prosecution of Indian National

The Tema Community one police have ordered the prosecution of an Indian National; working with the Tema Steel Company for assaulting a Ghanaian worker with the company.

The Indian National, Karamjeet Singh, who is a rolling Manager with the company, slapped the 28-year-old Ghanaian laborer Emanuel Akumenye on Thursday 23rd October 2014.

He was ordered to shut up by his employers if he wants to keep his job and that the government of Ghana was in their pocket.

Speaking in an interview in his office, Chief Inspector Bonney said he did not understand why the investigator in charge of the case had delayed to send the case to court.

“I will question her about that. I thought she had already sent the case to court I am sorry that this case has delayed but I assure you that It will go to court this week" he said.

Chief inspector Bonney noted that the management of the company led by one Ellen Jonah, Human Resource Manager of Tema Steel Company came to him to plead that the case is withdrawn from the station for out of court settlement but that did not work "so I have ordered them to send the case to court "he said.

When contacted, Ellen Jonah denied withdrawing the case from the police station.

She said they attempted to do that but it did not work so they will allow it to go as it is.

Narrating the facts of the case to The New Crusading Guide Newspaper in an interview, Emanuel Akumenye said he reported to work on Thursday 23rd October 2014 to perform his usual duties.

"Suddenly I heard a powerful slap on my face across my cheeks. So I bent down a little for about five minutes and when I raised my head I saw my supervisor, Mr Singh.”

“He looked at me for a while and left without uttering a word. So I reported him to our union leader who told me to report the case to the Police”, he explained.

“I reported the case to the Tema Community one Police and the police invited Mr. Singh to the Police station for questioning. I also took a form to the hospital for treatment. Subsequently, I realized that they had wanted to suspend the case and based on that I reported it to the New Crusading Guide newspaper for them to help me", he stated.

The New Crusading Guide contacted Chief Inspector Tony at the Tema Community one Police station and he confirmed the issue.

He said the accused person had been granted bail and would be sent to court for prosecution.

The Managing Director of the company, Mr Pater, also an Indian, when contacted denied the knowledge of the issue and said he was not aware that a worker in the company had been slapped by his superior.

However, the Personal Manager of Tema Steel Company confirmed the issue and said talks were ongoing to withdraw the case from the court for settlement.

Workers at Tema Steel Company Limited have lamented the poor safety conditions at the workplace, a situation that has put the lives of the workers in great danger.

Workers of the company find themselves in great danger when working with over-aged and archaic industrial machines.

It will be recalled that on Friday 24h May 2014, 24 year old Thomas Bufia, a casual worker at the Tema Steel Company had the lower part of his head slashed by one of the grinding machines that he was using at the site cutting through his nose and removing all his jaws instantly.

He instantly collapsed and was rushed to the Korlebu Teaching hospital where he was admitted and later released.

Thomas Bufia was released from the company and was not given anything as compensation.

Email Koranteng adu@gmail.com