The Accra Regional Police Command has arrested two persons for allegedly attacking 60yr-old woman at a construction site in Accra.
Asafoatse Aryee Obo, 32, and Nii Armah Wulu I, 48, Dzaasetse of Mamprobi in Accra were arrested by the police for alleged criminal engagements.
They were said to have launched an attack on a 60-year-old woman at Mamprobi to stop an ongoing construction, although she holds all required documents.
A statement from the police explained that: the suspects Nii Armah Wulu together with Asafoatse Aryee Obo went to the victim, a 60-year-old woman who was constructing a building at her late father’s residence and instructed her to stop work immediately.
The suspects according to the police demanded an amount of GH¢10,000 as a digging fee from her, although the victim had obtained the appropriate permit for the construction.
The suspects also ordered workers and suppliers of building material at the construction site to run for their lives.
“During the confrontations, the victim decided to film the incident. This infuriated the suspects. Suspect Asafoatse Aryee Obo pounced on the victim, pushed her to the ground, forcibly seized her Samsung mobile phone valued at One Thousand Two Hundred and Fifty Ghana Cedis (GH₵1,250.00), and smashed the phone on the floor without any provocation, thereby causing damage to the phone.
“The suspects also demolished sections of the building under construction. This led to the arrest of the suspects,” the statement added.
The suspects have been charged with assault, causing unlawful damage, and resisting arrest and rescue, after several failed invitations by the police.
A section of the public has, however, raised concerns over the approach to the arrest of the suspect.
However, the police in a press statement issued on Monday, November 29, 2021, explained that reasonable physical, but minimum force was applied as the suspect attempted to resist arrest.
The statement added that, while resisting arrest, one of the suspects “inflicted severe injury” to one of the arresting officers.
“The suspect, Asafoatse Aryee Obo in the process of arrest resisted and physically assaulted the arresting officers. He also kicked the groins of one of the arresting officers with his legs and inflicted severe injury.”
“Given the circumstance, the police had to resort to the application of the force needed at the time, because all other means to get the suspect to remain calm and comply with the arrest procedure had failed. The action of the Police was necessitated to prevent the suspect from causing further harm to other officers and persons who had gathered at the scene of the arrest.”
They have been remanded and are expected to reappear before the court on December 16, 2021.
“The suspects were arraigned before Circuit 8 on 24th November 2021. They were both remanded into Police custody and on 29th November 2021, they reappeared at the court and were granted bail to the tune of Eighty Thousand Ghana Cedis with two (2) sureties each.”
They are however expected to reappear before the court on December 16, 2021.
By Vincent Kubi