Master Richard faces charges for beating wife

Micky Osei Berko, commonly known as Mister Richard in the popular television soap opera, Taxi Driver, is likely to face prosecution for subjecting his wife to the most brutal form of domestic violence.

Kicking, punching, walloping and slapping the mother of your two toddlers black and blue is not the sort of award winning display Ghanaians would have associated this popular character with. But, sadly, that happened to be on the script during the festive season.

Master Richard, who also doubles up as ‘Konkonsa’ on Radio Gold, gave her common law wife, the mother of his children, aged 1 and 3, the most gruesome of New Year present by pounding the helpless mother to a pulp on Sunday, December 30.

Apparently that was not the only time this wife-beater was subjecting his wife to such a treatment. Appallingly, when the woman was carrying the second pregnancy, she was beaten to a near coma courtesy of the “Rambo” husband, The Statesman has learnt.

Coming at a time when women groups such as the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Ark Foundation and the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre, have kicked against domestic violence, the TV actor may not find an easy way out of the mess he has got himself. A case file is being prepared on the incident and the next episode should see him arraigned before a court of law.

Master Richard, the Statesman learnt threw decency and caution to the wind and rained punches on the wife over “silly disagreement on a party,” last week Sunday.

Sources close to the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of the Police Service where the woman had lodged a complaint told The Statesman that Micky faces a jail term if found guilty of the grievous bodily harm meted out to the wife.

WAJU boss, Esther Appiah in a telephone interview, on Tuesday said that the Unit has intensified investigations into the case.

According to the statement made to the WAJU, Micky’s wife narrated that on Sunday, 30th December, when people were in festive mood to usher in the New Year, Micky drove to her Asylum down residence where she lives with the couple’s two kids, and asked to take them to a party he was hosting at his Ashongman residence.

The wife, perhaps, saw the intervention timely as she was also preparing to attend a friend’s party. This infuriated her chauvinistic husband who steamed into his hapless wife.

It took the intervention of neighbours to rescue her from the masculine grips of Master Richard. His mother-in-law was pushed aside and hit her head when she tried to intervene.

Micky’s wife-bashing has made nonsense of women’s right campaigners call to an end to violence against women. Just last December, human rights activists marched through the streets of Accra calling for zero tolerance for violence against women.

Master Richard’s action has sent shockwaves through the human rights community, especially because of his high profile as a role model for many boys.

Ms Dorcas Coker-Appiah, a legal practitioner and Executive Director of Gender Studies and Human rights Documentation Centre, called for stiffer punishment against men who batter their wives. Indeed most assault on women happen at home.

Ms Coker-Appiah commended Micky’s wife for taking the bold decision of reporting the matter, saying that, “this is the only way to stop domestic violence.” She urged women to report cases of abuse to the appropriate authority such as the police and lawyers for redress.

When the TV actor was contacted at Radio Gold he was said to be presenting his Konkonsa programme. However, he later called in but said had nothing to tell because the matter had been settled. Perhaps, not to the battered wife’s knowledge.

WAJU boss confirmed that the wife and her father were at the police station on Tuesday showing their determination to pursue the matter to its legal conclusion.

Sources at WAJU said when Micky was invited last Wednesday, he displayed a sense of distasteful arrogance, maintaining that he could only make statement in the presence of his lawyers, disgracefully leashing unprintable insults on her wife, the bearer of his children.

Efforts to speak to the wife proved futile as she was not ready to speak with The Statesman.