Jihad Chabaan, the Ablemkpe Mawarko branch manager who is standing trial on the charge of assaulting a caterer at the eatery, yesterday opened his defence at the Abeka District Court in Accra.
Lawyers of the accused last week told the court the accused would need the help of an Arabic interpreter to enable him to open his defencee in the case because he is not fluent in the English language.
This request sparked a confrontation between relatives of the complainant, Evelyn Boakye, and those of the accused.
The visibly incensed Evelyn was seen punching her fist in the air as she exited the court room, while relatives moved to restrain and calm her.
Led in evidence by Julio De Medeiros, lawyer for the accused, Jihad vehemently denied ever dipping the face of the caterer into blended pepper.
He told the court that he met Evelyn using the restaurant’s blender in a manner that often causes it to damage.
Jihad claimed the accused had put too many onions in the blender, causing the blender to generate an unusual sound.
As a result, he poured out the contents into a bowl and turned the lady’s cheek, asking her to have a look at what she had caused, adding that it was then that he realised Evelyn was in tears.
The accused further told the court that because of his deficiency in the English language as at the time of writing his statement to the police, the one who assisted him wrote that he touched the head of the victim but that never happened.
Upon enquiring, Jihad claimed that Evelyn said the onions she was blending caused the tears in her eyes.
Hearing continues on Thursday, May 15.
Jihad is before the court assault.
The accused, 26, is reported to have dipped the head of Evelyn into blended pepper on February 26, 2017.
According to the prosecution led by Chief Inspector H.A. Hanson, the accused offensively conducted himself when he angrily called the complainant a “prostitute.”
Jihad is facing an additional charge of intentionally and unlawfully causing harm to Evelyn when he reportedly dipped the head of the complainant in the blended pepper.
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