By Erica Apeatua Addo
Tarkwa (W/R), Aug. 29, GNA – Four officers of Quick Credit and Micro Investment Company Limited,Tarkwa branch, who allegedly caused harm to Michael Kwesi Affum, a security officer of G4S security company, have been fined GHC3,600 each by the Tarkwa circuit court.
The accused persons; Micheal Afoakwa, 34, monitoring officer, Richard Anim, 28, Pius Abekah, 24 and Emmanuel Forson, 27, are all field officers, in default of the fine would serve five years each in prison with hard labour.
The court presided over by Mrs Hathier Ama Manu ordered the convicts to pay GHC10, 000 as compensation to the complainant.
Afoakwa, Anim, Abekah and Forson were charged for causing harm and abetment of crime, pleaded guilty to the offence and the court sentenced them accordingly.
Police Chief Inspector Joseph Lartey, prosecuting, told the court that Affum, the complainant, resided at Brenuakyim, in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, while the accused persons are responsible for recovering loans from customers of the company.
He said in April 2023, the complainant obtained a loan facility of GHC1,500 from the said company and defaulted in the repayment.
The prosecution said on July 6, 2023, the accused persons were going about their duty to recover loans from defaulting customers and met the complainant by the roadside at Lay-out, got closer to him and demanded he settled the debt on the spot.
Chief Inspector Lartey said an augment ensued between the complainant and accused persons, and Afoakwa in an attempt to seize Affum’s mobile phone held the left arm and twisted it behind him.
The court heard that in the process, the complainant’s left arm got fractured and this made him cried out in pain.
He informed the court that accused persons, realizing the harm they had caused to Affum quickly rushed him in their car to a private health facility nearby, but he was referred to the Tarkwa Municipal hospital for treatment due to the severity of the injury.
Chief Inspector Lartey said a report was later made to the police in Tarkwa on the same day and a medical form was issued to the complainant for endorsement.
Prosecution said on July 10, 2023, Afoakwa was arrested and during investigation, he admitted the offence and mentioned Anim, Abekah and Forson as his accomplices.
He said they were arrested on July 13 and after investigations all were charged and put before court.
GNA