The Inspector General of Police David Asante-Apeatu has ordered the immediate interdiction of the District Police Commander of Sefwi Akontombra in the Western region DSP/Mr. Dickson Obeng for ordering his men to subject a 14-year-old boy to severe lashes.
A statement signed by the Director General of the Public Affairs of the Police Service ACP David Eklu stated that the IGP has also directed the Police Commander for Western Region to constitute a team to investigate the incident and report within two [2] weeks.
In photos making rounds on social media, 14-year-old class 6 pupil, Stanley Antwi of the St. James Anglican Primary at Akontombra is seen with marks of the physical assault at his back.
Father of the boy, 36-year-old Enoch Tandoh narrated to Citi News that “I was in my farm when my wife called to inform me that our children have returned from school, but Stanley is bleeding at his back and so I should stop the farm work and help take him to the hospital”.
“So I rushed home to see my children only to see my son Stanley with severe marks of beatings on his back, his chest and parts of his stomach. When I asked Stanley what happened, he said the District Police Commander ASP Dickson Obeng, whose office is just behind their school, ordered his men to whip him for fighting with one of his classmates after school had closed.”
Mr. Tandoh added “I took my child, together with my wife to the hospital, but we were told we have to produce a medical request form from the police before they could take care of him. Knowing the commander is the same person to eventually produce that, I reached out to the District BNI officer. He came and insisted the hospital should take care of him without further delay. He then assisted us to the Commander”.
“When we got to the commander, he said my son was fighting with one of his classmates but despite a call on him to stop, he refused so he ordered his men to teach him a lesson.”
“In fact, I got alarmed when he said all that is to be done is to look for a northern region type of shea butter to apply and my boy will be fine. This is where I don’t understand. But the BNI officer is assisting me to seek justice for my son”.
According to Mr. Tandoh, eyewitnesses told him the commander “first prescribed 20 lashes for his behavior and got his men to hold the hands and legs of my boy on a table. For every turn that he makes whilst been whipped, whatever number within the 20 that he has received will be discounted and started afresh. They did that to my son until he received the 19 lashes. The first 17 lashes were discounted.”
ACP Eklu added that the public will be updated in respect of progress on the case.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
