A 22-year old driver’s mate has died four days after he was brutally assaulted allegedly by uniformed men believed to be soldiers on the Bekwai District Forestry Task Force in the Ashanti Region.
Stephen Kwaku Manu was subjected to beatings for removing a wooden slab the soldiers had used to mount an illegal speed rump at Bekwai.
He was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital four days after suffering the ordeal, though he had been treated and discharged on the day of the attack.
Kwaku’s relatives are calling for sanctions against the alleged culprits who police and forestry officials decline to name on grounds of supposed on-going investigations.
The deceased, described by many as the breadwinner of his bed-ridden mother was assaulted without provocation by the uniformed men in the full glare of the public.
Onlookers stood helpless until a taxi driver mustered courage to intervene by pleading with the soldiers.
When Kwaku obliged his master’s instructions to take a wooden slab that had virtually blocked the road to enable their vehicle pass, little did he know it would send him to his grave.
An errand boy of the military officers, who were on a two-week rotational assignment from the Fourth Infantry battalion in Kumasi is said to have identified Kwaku when the soldiers demanded to know who had removed the slab.
We paid Victim Gh50 in compensation
Two days after local police had commenced investigations into Kwaku’s attack, the District Forestry Manager; Francis Bawuah, interceded on behalf of the alleged culprits for an out- of- court settlement.
Kwaku died two days after submitting a withdrawal letter to the police to discontinue the case after forestry officials paid his hospital bill and compensation of Ghs 200 and Ghs50 respectively.
Mr. Bawuah tells Nhyira News he did no wrong negotiating for settlement which was done with police consent.
“It was not as if we went to work and this thing happened. The issue happened in Bekwai town itself. No Forestry official was with them. We heard only of these when they [soldiers] had left. But we thought once we are working with them [soldiers] and this thing has happened, we have to follow it up to the police station so that we can clear every issue at stake”, Mr. Bawuah insisted.
“The expenses were Gh200 and we paid and they asked of compensation for the boy. Because he was in good health, we gave the boy a compensation of fifty Ghana cedis. We did that in front of the police and they wrote a letter to that effect”. Mr. Francis Bawuah explained.
Who killed Kwaku Manu?
Bereaved relatives are questioning the police’s role, especially, the hasty manner they disposed of the case without inviting the soldiers for questioning. “Who killed Kwaku Manu”, they quizzed.
Divisional Crime officer, ASP Allen Potaag, defended their action though they suspect Kwaku’s death had something to do with the assault by the soldiers for which they are collaborating with military authorities to investigate.
“It all [death] happened because based upon the medical report, there were no serious injuries. He was walking alright. There were no physical injuries; but they [doctors] say that there was some bruises and contusion which in my opinion were quite light”.
Back at Fawoman, the family house is full of mourning as relatives gnash their teeth over the loss of their dear one.
An aunt to the deceased, Abenaa Afrakomah wants the soldiers punished for what she says is the brutal murder of her nephew. According to her, the soldiers and everyone who has a hand in Kwaku Manu’s death shall never know peace.
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