News
Police brutality leaves 67-year-old farmer partly ‘paralysed’
A 67-YEAR-OLD farmer at Kpenoe, near Ho, Mr Emmanuel Agakpe Homenya is now left ‘partly paralysed’ after he was allegedly subjected to severe beatings by a police officer at the Deme Police Station in the Volta Region.
The incident, according to the victim, took place on September 15, at the Deme Police Station.
The Spectator gathered that the farmer went to his farm as usual that day but realised that someone had erected pillars on the farm, suggesting that an unscrupulous land leader had sold the land to an unsuspecting developer.
Without any hesitation, the senior citizen pulled the pillars down on his 21-acre farm.
Later, a policeman from the Deme Police Station came to his house at Kpenoe and instructed him to follow him to the Charge Office.
The farmer said that although he did not resist arrest, the officer insisted on handcuffing and dragging him to the station.
He said that on reaching the station, the officer took a whip and lashed him until he sustained multiple wounds on his back.
“I asked him what was my crime and he told me that even people like Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings were tortured and their nails removed from their fingers before they became Heads of State.”
The victim was later rushed to the Ho Teaching Hospital where he was treated and discharged.
When he turned up in the Newsroom of this paper at Ho a few days ago to narrate his ordeal, Mr Homenya was unable to walk steadily and was assisted by his daughter.
He struggled to speak with the body shaking.
Investigations by The Spectator revealed that the buyer of the land (name withheld) was not in the country at the time, and it was rather the caretaker of the land who engaged the police to torture the farmer.
The identity of the police officer was not established at the time of filing this report but the Volta Regional Police Commander, DCOP Edward Kwateng has given the assurance that all was set for a thorough enquiry into the matter.
He said that the police officer, when found culpable, would face the disciplinary measures of the Ghana Police Service.
DCOP Kwateng warned that any unruly officer whose conduct dragged the image of the police service in the mud would suffer the consequences.
“We will definitely get to the bottom of this matter,” he gave assurance.
From Alberto Mario Noretti, Ho
Management and staff of Owass FM have announced the passing of media personality, comedian and politician Seth Kwame Dzokoto following a medical emergency during a live morning show discussion at the station earlier today.
According to the station, Dzokoto was participating in a panel discussion on its morning show “Oman Nkoso” when he suddenly took ill and collapsed.
A statement from the station said its team immediately rushed him to the hospital for medical attention, but he was pronounced dead by the attending medical doctor upon arrival.
“We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident, which occurred in the course of our regular programming. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, loved ones, colleagues, and all those who have been affected by his passing,” the statement said.
Management acknowledged that information about the incident is already circulating in the public domain, but appealed to the public and colleague media houses to respect the privacy of the bereaved family and refrain from circulating unverified information or speculation regarding the circumstances of his death.
Owass FM extended its heartfelt condolences to the family of Seth Kwame Dzokoto.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The State through the Attorney General (AG) has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the suspension of the trial in the case of The Republic v Hanan Aludiba and Faiza Seidu.
On Monday, the Court of Appeal suspended the trial in the case. But the prosecution says it has filed an appeal against the suspension order.
According to the update, the law does not allow a criminal trial to be suspended simply because an accused person has complained about some of the charges on the charge sheet, particularly when those complaints were dismissed as meritless.
It argues that if the Court of Appeal’s decision is allowed to stand, no prosecution will ever be possible, since all it would take for a trial to be suspended is an accused person complaining about anything on the charge sheet.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
