ASSAULT VICTIM DEMANDS GH¢10,000 COMPENSATION FROM POLICE

By Alfred Adams, Takoradi

FRANCIS Kofi Essiaw, the young man who was severely assaulted by police personnel from the Drug Enforcement Law Unit (DELU) of the Sekondi Command of the Ghana Police Service, on suspicion that he was a drug peddler, which later turned out to be a hoax, has petitioned the Command of the Service to compensate him with an amount of GH¢10,000.

That apart, he is demanding the police to render an unqualified apology to him in one of the national newspapers, for the harm and injury caused to his reputation, as a result of what he termed as “unjustifiable assault” on his life and his family. The incident happened on April 15th this year.

Francis Kofi Essiaw’s petition to the Sekondi Command of the Police Service comes barely a month after the Attorney General’s (AG) office in Sekondi, in its report, ordered the police to pay compensation to the victim for any injury or harm caused to him or damage to his property as a result of the assault on him.

The AG report also exonerated the police officers, who allegedly assaulted the victim, from unprofessional conduct.

It would be recalled that the Sekondi Command of the Police Service set up an investigation panel to probe seven officers from the DLEU who forcibly broke into the room of the victim in the odd hours of April 15 this year, on suspicion that the victim was a drug peddler.

The police personnel allegedly assaulted the victim and his family, and later dumped him in a police cell.

The victim also alleged that he lost an amount of GH¢100, when the police invaded his room.

A medical report produced by the victim, confirmed the assault when The Chronicle broke the story.

When the police panel eventually completed its investigations, two officers from the DLEU were interdicted by the service for unprofessional conduct with regards to the assault on the victim.

As a result, the docket of the case was forwarded to the Attorney General’s office in Sekondi for study and possible advice on prosecution.

However, the Attorney General’s Office, in its report dated the 26th June 2009, exonerated the two police officers, and ordered that they be re-instated.

Nonetheless, the AG ordered the Sekondi Command of the service to apologise to the victim (Francis Essiaw), and pay compensation for any harm or injury caused to him or damage to his property during the course of the ‘unfortunate incident.’

In the victims petition to the Command dated July 27th 2009, which is in the possession of The Chronicle, Francis Kofi Essiaw wrote “based on the Attorney General’s report to compensate and apologise to me for the assault on my life, I demand an amount of GH¢10,000, and an apology three times a week in one of the national dailies.”

Nonetheless, the petitioner gave a month’s ultimatum for the apology and the compensation being demanded.

The victim, in his petition, also reminded the Police Service that he would not hesitate to institute legal action against the institution, if the later failed to comply with his petition.

“Be reminded that I reserve every right to institute legal action against you if you fail to meet my demand.”

Meanwhile, the police have confirmed receipt of the victim’s petition.