Kumasi: KMA guards assaults driver to near death

A 207 Mercedez Benz bus trotro driver, Osei Manu, who was given 24 lashes by some officials of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA). for allegedly stealing a car tape and a mobile phone has been admitted at the hospital. Manu, 35, according to his brother, Harrision Asiamah, was admitted at the Tafo Government Hospital when the Suame Police referred him to the health facility for treatment late Monday, April 4, 2016. The trotro driver who plies between Kumasi and Keniago in the Amansie District was picked up by the KMA officials at the Kumasi Race Course for alleged thievery, despite protest from the other station drivers.

 He was handcuffed and sent to the offices of the KMA where the officials allegedly used copper wire and gave him 24 strokes at his back. Asiamah speaking in an interview with Accra based Okay FM, Wednesday, said it was through his timely intervention that the brother was saved.

“We were at the Race Course on Monday in the afternoon when I received a telephone call from someone that I should come to the KMA office at the Race Course immediately. I then stopped all that I was doing and run to the KMA office. There I met one of my junior brothers who in the company of some other guys stood infront of one of the offices”.

 “I then heard someone screaming and we tried unlocking the door to see what was happening but we were unsuccessful. My brother then used his leg to bang the door to open and there we saw our brother in handcuff at his back receiving some lashes from these KMA officials.

He was bleeding profusely in the midst of these four KMA officials who were all holding copper wire”. “They have beaten him to the extent that he was unable to see and hear with marks all over his body. He was also unable to talk. At a point in time, he requested for some water but I was afraid to fetch him some. I then enquired from the guys the crime my brother has committed only to be told that they were there somewhere last week when somebody came to report that my brother has stolen his car tape. So I asked them why they didn’t send him to Police and whether they have the authority to beat him.”

“This attracted some other guys to come around because I was talking on top of my voice. So, we all demanded that they take my brother to the hospital but the guys sensing danger took to their heels. Just as we were about to leave, one of the senior KMA officers called us and gave us GH 100.00 to take him to the hospital and promised to take the matter up.

So we reported the matter to the Suame Police where they took his statement and gave us Police medical forms to take him to any Government Hospital. We then took him to the Tafo Government Hospital where he was admitted”, Asiamah narrated. The money, he added, was taken by Police as evidence for the case they have started investigating.