General News of Saturday, 21 July 2018
Source: citinewsroom.com
2018-07-21
Franklin Cudjoe, IMANI Ghana President
The president of policy think tank, IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe will join forces some lawyers to drag Midland Savings and Loans to court for allowing a police officer brutalize a nursing mother at one of their branches in Accra.
Franklin Cudjoe said he is taking action because the police officer in question could not have acted in that manner without instruction from officials of Midland.
“Now that the bank has said they are investigating the matter, it shouldn’t actually end there. I’m likely to talk to a few lawyers to sue the bank so that the bank will pay substantial damages so that the lady is properly compensated…I don’t think the best thing to do is to ask the police or any security guard to walk the woman out. The policeman was acting on instruction,” he added.
Lance Corporal Frederick Amanor was captured in a video that has gone viral brutally assaulting Patience Osafo who was at the bank to withdraw some amount of money at the bank after closing hours.
In the video, the police officer, who was armed with an assault rifle, is seen striking the woman, who was holding her baby, multiple times on the head, first with an umbrella, and then with his fists.
The officer also attempted to drag her out of the building violently.
The woman was holding on to the baby while the officer kicked and shoved her around.
Speaking on Citi FM/Citi TV’s new analysis programme, The Big Issue on Saturday, Franklin Cudjoe said he would soon talk to some lawyers to take up the issue.
He explained that the move is aimed at getting a better compensation package for Patience Osarfo.
“This is beyond asking for charity for her because this happened right under their nose and properly sue them out of existence…. Whatever the issue was, the fact of the matter is that did she have legitimate money with the bank? She had it, and to the extent that she could take her money, you cannot deny her,” he added.
Police officer arrested for beating up woman with a baby
The Police have subsequently arrested the police officer.
The management of Midland Savings and Loans has also condemned the assault and assured that necessary action would be taken to ensure that the victim gets justice.