Two in custody for assaulting ECG Officials

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded into police custody two persons who allegedly assaulted two officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) at Oyarifa during a disconnection exercise.

Shadrack Adjetey Monnie, a 42-year-old building contractor, and Anyetei Ezekiel, a 24-year-old construction labourer, have been jointly charged with causing unlawful damage and two counts of assault.

They pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The Court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, remanded them into Police custody to reappear on June 8, 2023.

The facts as presented by the prosecutor, Paul Assibi Abariga, were that the complainants, Thomas Tetteh Yemo and Evans Kwame Ofori, were both technicians from the Dodowa District Office of ECG, while the accused persons and others at large were residents of Oyarifa, Accra.

The prosecution said that at about 1530 hours on May 22, 2023, the complainants were performing their lawful duties by disconnecting all ECG customers who were owing the company at Oyarifa and its environs.

It said one Monnie organised Ezekiel and others at large, to prevent the complainants from performing the disconnection exercise in the Oyarifa township. The prosecution said Yemo was in the compound of a customer who owed the Company when the accused persons and their accomplices came there and ordered him to leave the premises without reason.

It said none of the accused persons lived in the said house. The prosecution said the accused persons pushed Yemo who fell into dirty stagnant water, resulting in damage to his Infinix mobile phone.

It said when Ofori tried to assist Yemo, the other accused persons pounced on him and beat him mercilessly. The prosecution said Ofori forced his way out of the compound and ran towards a commercial vehicle in other to escape from further beatings.

It said the accused persons chased Ofori, and further manhandled the technician who lost his ECG Identity card holder and a spectacle in the process. The prosecution said the Police chanced on the scene and arrested Monnie, whilst his accomplices fled the area. It said on May 26, 2023, Ezekiel was also arrested by Ayi Mensah Police and Yemo identified him as one of the people who attacked and assaulted them.

The prosecution said the accused persons were handed over to the investigation unit of ECG for further action. It said Police Medical Forms were issued to the complainants for treatment.