A lecturer at the University of Ghana is demanding disciplinary action against a police officer who allegedly slapped him during a misunderstanding Sunday night at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra. Dr. Kobby Mensah, who is a marketing lecturer, claims the officer, Wilson Oku, in an apparent show of power, slapped him during a misunderstanding between him and some police personnel over parking duration at the Airport drop off zone.
The lecturer said he had gone to the airport at about 7:30pm to drop off a research colleague who was travelling to the United Kingdom. According to Dr. Mensah, he pulled over at the drop off zone at the airport and while he and his colleague were loading luggage on a trolley, one of the officers, Samuel Arthur, asked him to drive away claiming he had parked for 10 minutes. “I responded to the officer that I haven’t been there for 10 minutes because we just arrived. He queried how long have I been there, and I responded within 5 minutes but not 10.
The officer continued to claim the latter, and on my insistence I implored him not to exaggerate,” he narrated. He said Arthur who appeared infuriated, then called Oku over who then threatened to arrest him [the lecturer] if he did not move the car. Dr Mensah told 3News that he told that he had not committed any offence to warrant an arrest, and went on to advise him “not to abuse his power by intimidating me”. “I further advised that we are all public servants and citizens of this country and must be accorded respect just as we accord the security agents the necessary courtesies,” he added.
After that, he said he entered his car but Oku continued to scream at him and “I asked him again to stop intimidating me and abusing his powers as he does not know who he is talking to, and that not everyone that he can abuse. “This got Wilson Oku infuriated, by which time he had approached my car and stretched his hand to slap me. I then stopped the car and came out to challenge him why he did so. Immediately he had called for reinforcement, including one that seemed to me as his superior by name Joseph Nsoah,” he told 3News.
He said tried to draw Mr. Nsoah’s attention to the action of his men but he rather “joined his men, urging them on to shout that I move my car else they will arrest me. I eventually left the scene to my house as I was visibly shaking”. Dr. Mensah said on the advice of a lawyer friend, he went to the Aiport Police Station to report the matter but was redirected to the Police post at the Airport. While he wants the IGP to sanction the three officers, he is also pleading that awareness is created among police personnel that no matter who a citizen is, in whatever status, they have every right to the highest dignity, protection and privacy.
Source: today
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MY FRIEND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENS OUTSIDE THERE.SO PLEASE STOP TALKING LIKE YOU ARE NOT IN THIS COUNTRY
Eiii Ghana police are you there to protect us or maltreat us, i am not surprised. they behave as if they owe the country... just this morning on Kasoa Road a police officer pulled a motor bike key whiles the rider was still moving it took the intervention of God whyyy ... Adzennnn. i pray people will start lynching them so they will to stop this bad acts ...
Dr I support your decision to take them to court. Ghana police have become a threat rather than to protect the citizens. in the year 2011, i happen to be apprehended by the police on board a private car to accra from volta region which was carrying marijuana. i paid the normal fare to the driver as a passenger since i was finding it difficult to get a car back to accra. even tough i did not know about the issue,we were all arrested and brought to the head quarters. upon reaching the head quarters, a young officer begun pushing me from behind, slapping my back to hurry , insulting me,using abusive words without finding out what the case was.... infact....i dont want to continue....but by God's garce l was finally released after spending three days in the cells as the owners of the substance confirmed several times that l was only a passenger they picked on their way. as for ghana police, the least said about them, the better. Doctor, please pursue this case to the highest level.
You dont mean it, a policeman slapping a university lecturer, not just a lecturer, a whole university lecturer, i cant think far,let the police know that a results slip of level 100 student can get someone an inspector grade in the police service, let them know thata phd holder is far above the IGP.Who born police dog to slap a whole university lecturer,Dr, Mensah shoud sell the case to me to persue,ijust can't think far. How?
I hate the police to the core due to their errant use of power and I have vowed to hit them hard when I'm in position to do so, those defending them wait it will get to you. DR fight the case out, and these are Bece and ssce graduate so they are full of envy and know next to nothing with the gun in hand they go running riot.
I'm sick and tired of those low self esteem Ghanaians who always classified the smart and confident Ghanaians as "too known". Why do you have slap another human being in the first place? For what reason? Some of the officers are so primitive and uncultured and have no business being in the police. The lecture should go to court
Doc Iam with you. A brief observation I have done depicts that it is the corrupt ones that usually overuse their power.
To William and Nana Yaa, wait until it happens to you and you will know how it feels to be slapped or abused.
You need education and I believe you are the ***barred word*** type who will let law enforcement officers abuse you just because they are police but in reality police has no power to touch or abuse anybody unless it has something to do with robbery where applicable force is required and needed or in a violent conduct where force can be applied appropriately other than that, it is even criminal offense for police to abuse his little powers. However, if this was to happened me, I'd personally track the police down one on one and gun him down for a revenge haven't served in the US Navy for 19 years and been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq, I would have personal image and reputation to protect as a former service man just to teach the embercile police officer who mishandled the lecturer a lesson he'd never be alive to learn. Had this been in the US with evidence on maybe security cameras the police would've been fired and the lecturer could have sued and be compensated. So William you definitely needed knowledge, education and basic understanding of police powers and if you are police yourself maybe you must understand your duty is to protect not to abuse. My advice to the lecturer is go to the court and sue the entire police administration for hiring an abusive cop who's physically using his uniform to abuse the citizens of our country. God bless All.
@William- I concur paaa I can imagine what this professor did, know it all. A policeman can't slap you in a public place. They usually do that ***barred word*** in their territory. Pls stop lying wai or else you will get more slaps. But seriously this police brutality must stop, it's getting too much in GH