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A 72-year-old man who allegedly attacked a lawyer with a metal object following a comment the victim reportedly made, is helping the Manhyia Police in Kumasi in investigations into the issue. The suspect, Mr John Kwame Assuah, is said to have hit the neck of Mr Felix Osei Bonsu, counsel for GN Bank, with the object, after a court had slapped costs of GH¢2,000 on Mr Assuah, who was a defendant in a law suit.

Incident

After the court had fined Mr Assuah, Mr Bonsu is alleged to have told him to stop complaining that the fine was harsh, since he (counsel) had asked for more than what the court granted.

Mr Bonsu is also said to have told Mr Assuah that he should be grateful to the judge for slashing the costs down as his client (GN Bank) had demanded about GH¢35,000.

In a fit of anger, Mr Assuah allegedly picked the metal object and hit Mr Bonsu with it.

Fearing for his life, Mr Bonsu ran to his car to seek refuge as onlookers managed to restrain the assailant and handed him over to the Zongo Police.

Confirmation

Mr Assuah, according to the police, was already angry at the court’s decision to ask him to pay the GH¢10,000 he secured from the bank together with the interest it had accrued or risked having his house auctioned to defray the loan.

Confirming the incident to newsmen, the Manhyia District Police Commander, Superintendent of Police, Rev Dr Nyamekye Adane-Ameyaw, said Mr Assuah told the police that he gave the documents covering his house to a lady to be used as collateral to secure a loan from the GN Bank, about four years ago.

He said the lady, according to the suspect, gave him GH¢1,000 out of the GH¢10,000 loan she secured from the bank. However, the lady had failed to pay back the loan resulting in the bank suing him to recover the debt, Mr Bonsu told the police.

According to the District Commander, the trial ended last Thursday with the trial judge, Ms Justice Jennifer Tagoe, ruling in favour of the plaintiff. Outside the courtroom, he said, Mr Assuah was complaining about the costs imposed on him by the court, in addition to the payment of the loan.

He said Mr Bonsu tried to tease Mr Assuah and the suspect did not take kindly to it, leading to the assault.