RESIDENTS OF Prestea in the Western region have been gripped with utter shock at the cruelty of Emmanuel Coffie, a galamsey operator who vented his anger and poured a bucket of acid on his friend, Kwasi Mensah, 17, a fellow galamsey operator over a second hand China phone.
Coffie poured the acid on his friend shortly after a protracted struggle to collect GH�15.00 Mensah paid to buy the mobile phone, which later turned out to be out of order.
According to Charles Baidoo, a native of Prestea and a brother of the victim who spoke to the DAILY HERITAGE, sometime in November 2014, his brother�s friend only known in the vicinity as K. galamsey operator at Pretea sold an old China phone to Kwasi Mensah (his brother) for GH�15.00.
He said the brother who found out the phone was not working retuned the phone to Coffie the following day for a refund, but he (Coffie) refused to pay the money which resulted in a quarrel between the two.
Mr. Baidoo said Mensah snatched the phone belonging to his friend and threw the old phone on him, and told him (his friend) to refund his money or he will keep his phone as replacement. This did not go down well with Coffie who got very angry.
Coffie then rushed into his Uncle�s room, brought a bucket of acid and poured it into the eyes and nose of his brother. He said, currently, his brother cannot breathe through his nostrils, can hardly hear and is totally blind.
He said Kwasi Mensah, who did not know it was an acid initially, began to feel itches and sharp pains and shouted for help and quickly rushed to the house to wash. Coffie who knew what he has done attempted to run, but by the help of some people in the area, he was apprehended and sent to the Prestea Police station.
According to crime investigator Lance Corporal Josephine Yamoah Donkor of the Prestea Police Station, the case was reported at their outfit around 9 pm, sometime in October 2014 by a Good Samaritan.
The investigator explained that Mensah (the victim), who is the complainant was alleged to have bought an old Nokia phone for GH�15.00 from one Emmanuel Coffie a galamsey operator and friend, but after charging the phone for hours, he found out that the battery of the phone was not working and could not charge, so he returned the phone for his money and it ensued in a quarrel.
She said, the accused, who was by then at his Uncle�s shop refused to pay the money to his friend, but rather said he should come for his money the next day.
The victim disagreed and took a phone of Coffie which was at the counter and decided to go away with it, the accused allegedly locked the door of the shop and followed him home for his phone or he would pour acid on him. True to his threat, he poured the acid on his friend.
Mensah was subsequently referred to the Efiankwanta Government Hospital in Takoradi, where he was again referred to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for plastic surgery.
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