Jihad Chaaban
Further cross-examination of Evelyn Boakye, the lady accusing Jihad Chaaban, the Abelemkpe Marwako branch manager, of dipping her face in blended pepper resumed yesterday with a fresh session of accusations.
This time around, Augustine Asafo Adjei, lawyer for Jihad, insists the victim had reported the case just to take money from the accused.
In the view of the lawyer, Evelyn was advised by somebody to report the matter in his words to “make good money” when the case “escalates”.
Denials
But answering the question at the Abeka District Court in Accra yesterday, Evelyn who looked rather relaxed as compared to earlier court dates flatly denied the assertions of the lawyer.
She told the court presided over by Ms Victoria Ghansah that the claims of Augustine were false.
Evelyn also denied the assertion that she was lying to the court in respect of her answers to the questions of the lawyer.
Augustine sought further to punch holes in the evidence of the complainant, wondering if on the day of the incident the accused referred to the blender as “the blender” or “his blender”.
The trial magistrate, however, ruled that the question was irrelevant because it will not change anything.
The lawyer of the accused denied that his client reportedly used the word ‘sharramunta’, meaning a ‘prostitute’, for Evelyn.
Second Witness
Meanwhile, the prosecution, led by Chief Inspector Armah Hanson, has presented its second witness in the trial.
Susan Yayira Dovlo, also an employee of the eatery, corroborated the story of Evelyn.
Speaking Twi, she said she requested that the complainant comes to help her blend fresh pepper for the full chicken department of the restaurant.
Identifying Jihad as her supervisor, Susan narrated the series of events leading to the accused dipping the face of Evelyn into the blended pepper in the blender.
She said the noise of the blender during the blending of the second batch of the ingredients drove Jihad to the kitchen.
Sitting continues on April 3.
Chagres
Jihad, 26, is reported to have dipped the head of Evelyn into blended pepper on February 26, 2017.
According to the prosecution, the accused offensively conducted himself when he angrily called the complainant a ‘prostitute’.
Jihad is facing an additional charge of intentionally and unlawfully causing harm to Evelyn.
At the last court date, the defence lawyers had expressed doubt over the actual substance.
In the view of Augustine, the substance for which the accused had been dragged before court is a “sauce” and not raw pepper.
He said a mixture of garlic, pepper, onions, ginger and tomatoes cannot be described as pepper.
Jihad, a Lebanese supervisor at Marwako Restaurant, was put before the court for allegedly manhandling a female waitress of the restaurant.
The accused who has pleaded not guilty to the charges is a brother–in-law of the owner of Marwako Restaurant at the Abelemkpe branch.
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
jeffdegraft44@yahoo.com