Jihad Chaaban, the Lebanese supervisor who allegedly dipped the face of a Ghanaian kitchen staffer at Marwako Fast Food’s Abelenkpe branch into a paste of freshly blended pepper about two weeks ago, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault, offensive conduct and causing harm.
In court on Wednesday, 8 March, Mr Chaaban’s lawyers argued for him to be granted bail but the prosecution fought against it.
The court ruled that he should be held in police custody to reappear on 16 March.
Meanwhile, at least 2,500 people have signed an online petition aimed at seeking justice for Evelyn Boakye, the victim. The petition followed an online crusade #BoycottMarwako launched after the incident came to light.
Also, Second Lady Samira Bawumia has said Mr Chaaban must be penalised for his crime.
“I think it’s one too many but I think it’s the employee who needs to be penalised. It’s unacceptable and I saw yesterday the Gender Minister was there with the lady and I’m sure they are going to push this to its logical conclusion,” Mrs Bawumia said on Accra-based Joy FM on Wednesday.
It has also come to light that Marwako pays Ms Boakye, GH¢300 as salary for her 10-hour a day job.
Ms Boakye reported her assault to the police, who arrested Mr Chaaban, interrogated him and later granted him bail. He was subsequently charged on Tuesday, 7 March.
The incident has been widely condemned by Ghanaians on social media, leading to a call for a total boycott of Marwako.
On Tuesday, Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection Ms Otiko Afisa Djaba, Labour and Employment Relations Minister Ignatius Baffour-Awuah and MP for the area, Kyeremateng Agyarko met with the management of Marwako over the matter. The Labour Minister ordered an intensive audit of Marwako’s labour practices.
Evelyn’s brother, Kobby, who disclosed his sister’s salary, told Moro Awudu on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Wednesday, 8 March that Marwako has not offered a penny to his sister in terms of assistance ever since the incident happened, contrary to claims by the restaurant that the victim has refused all help extended to her by the eatery.
He said his sister has been living on the benevolence of Gender, Children and Social Protection Minsiter Otiko Afisa Djaba, former Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier General Nunoo-Mensah, MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon Kyeremanteng Agyarko, and a few friends and relatives, stressing that: “I say on authority, they [Marwako] have not given any penny for hospital bills, it is a lie, it’s an insult to women.”
“And even up till now, the whole company, they have not been paid the workers, and even her [Evelyn],” he said.
According to him, the restaurant also, sometimes, makes deductions from the meagre GH¢300 salary paid to staff with the excuse that there have been shortages of certain foodstuffs in the pantry, for which the workers are surcharged. “…It’s a table-top salary,” he stressed.
He said the incident has been hard on his sister and the family. “For now it’s kind of hard because looking at your kid sister being in the news everywhere … everyone is calling … so the stress is too much.”
“As for the family, we wish this thing hadn’t happened so that she will have her peace, we are not complaining about Evelyn getting GH¢300 working for 10 hours a day, as a young girl she was not depending on any man to survive,” he added.
Source: Classfmonline
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ng to see Jihad walk free in town and u have some lawyers defending himy.Can any Ghanaian go to lebanon to misbehave?They come to ghana and mess around in town smoking,sleeping with girls and recording them,abusing Ghanaian workers all round and even carry guns around.Giving that guy a lawyer is a shame.Who said he doesn't speak good English. Go check very well.He is comfortable driving a KIA car in town with loud speakers and he is very happy.If it were to be his country,a Ghanaian would have been killed by now.Justice must work.The lady must be taken good care of.These ***barred word*** Lebanese pple are just making money through money londering in dollars.Justice must prevail
It's surprising to see Jihad walk free in town and u have some lawyers defending himy.Can any Ghanaian go to lebanon to misbehave?They come to ghana and mess around in town smoking,sleeping with girls and recording them,abusing Ghanaian workers all round and even carry guns around.Giving that guy a lawyer is a shame.Who said he doesn't speak good English. Go check very well.He is comfortable driving a KIA car in town with loud speakers and he is very happy.If it were to be his country,a Ghanaian would have been killed by now.Justice must work.The lady must be taken good care of.These ***barred word*** Lebanese pple are just making money through money londering in dollars.Justice-Singspiation must prevail
if this guy is freed, he will be killed in the street of Accra just expel him from the country period
This man must be punish paa for this ***barred word*** act,how I wish he is standing beside me like he will bath blood.***barred word*** fulani man
We should deal with the issue and leave the pay out . Ghanaian worker let a fellow Ghanaian employ her and pay her better and she will help collapse the work appuuu they work for peanuts for foreigners and they deliver like crazy.
The guy's name is jihad, what do u expect. Evil people. I
We need justice for Mother Ghana. Jihad heal fire burn you
if our policemen ends monies from this foreigners this what happens they always thinks money will work outbad into good.LOOK atthe fulanis killing our children mothers as if there is no justice in this land.who er this lebanese,syrians nd other foreigner go to police stations nd look how they give big monies to our pölicemen they there for money.
The worst culprits of disrespect and maltreatment of Africans are the Asians and the Arabs in particular. In Mauritania and Morocco, the black nationals are the slave caste. In India, the dark skinned Indians are the "untouchables outcasts". Even the famous Gandhi treated them with disdain. In Saudi Arabia it is terrible terrible terrible. I can go on and on and on. But to do the same to us in our country after 60 years of independence is completely unacceptable. Indeed in Saudi, the African would have been slaughtered in the street a la ISIL style. We need to rise to have some dignity for ourselves as Africans.
I wish i can have this id*t one on one to really beat this stup*d ***barred word*** till he bleed to death. Stup*d man.