Swedru Municipal guard, 3 others in assault video remanded
Two municipal guards of the Agona West Municipal Assembly and their accomplices, who allegedly assaulted a 17-year-old boy in the area, have been remanded by the Swedru District Court.
The accused municipal guards are Peter Danso and Isaac Ntsiful, while their two accomplices are Sampson Aikins, a baker and Francis Yorke, a student.
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They were remanded by the court, presided over by Mr Isaac Appietu, following a plea by the prosecution that the suspects would interfere with investigations if granted bail.
They were provisionally charged with conspiracy to commit assault and assault.
A video on the assault that went viral last Wednesday, shows a traumatised 17-year-old boy on his knees while Peter Danso comes from behind to kick the boy’s head with his boots in a karate style.
The suspect’s behaviour attracted public backlash and as a result of the interest the case had generated, people thronged the court premises yesterday to see the suspects while others filled the empty spaces in the court to hear the case unfold.
Case for remand
Making a case for remand of the accused persons, the prosecutor, Inspector Chare N. Salia, argued that the police were still conducting investigations into the incident to bring other suspects to book.
“Considering the public interest in the matter, it will be in the interest of justice for the accused to be remanded to enable the police to conduct investigations free from interferences,” he added.
Counsel for the accused, Mr Frederick Selby, in his response, disagreed with the prosecutor and urged the court to admit his clients to bail.
According to counsel, the fact that his clients had been charged showed that the police were ready to prosecute and, therefore, refuted claims by the prosecution that the accused would interfere with investigations.
The presiding magistrate accepted the arguments by the prosecution but directed it to hasten the investigations to ensure an expeditious trial.
Hearing continues on April 11, 2019.
Incident
The victim was assaulted for allegedly stealing phone credit cards worth GH¢95 in Agona Swedru last Wednesday.
The two municipal guards involved in the case were detailed by the municipal assembly to control traffic at the Protoa Station Junction where the incident occurred.
They were arrested last Friday by the Swedru District Police Command after a complaint had been lodged at the station.
Police statement
Earlier, the police in a statement, signed by ASP Simon Teku of the Public Affairs Directorate, refuted claims that Danso was a police officer.
It further stated that the Swedru Divisional Police Command had begun thorough investigation into the incident.
According to the release, preliminary investigation showed that about 3:00p.m. on Thursday, March 21, 2019 at Agona Swedru, the victim was arrested and assaulted by the guards and some civilians for an alleged offence.
“However, when the attention of a police officer on duty nearby was drawn to the scene of the assault, the officer went to the rescue of the victim and subsequently filed a report at the Agona Swedru Police Station.”