A lecturer at the University of Ghana is demanding disciplinary action against a police officer who allegedly slapped him during a misunderstanding Sunday night at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
Dr. Kobby Mensah, who is a marketing lecturer, claims the officer, Wilson Oku, in an apparent show of power, slapped him during a misunderstanding between him and some police personnel over parking duration at the Airport drop off zone.
The lecturer said he had gone to the airport at about 7:30pm to drop off a research colleague who was travelling to the United Kingdom. According to Dr. Mensah, he pulled over at the drop off zone at the airport and while he and his colleague were loading luggage on a trolley, one of the officers, Samuel Arthur, asked him to drive away claiming he had parked for 10 minutes.
“I responded to the officer that I haven’t been there for 10 minutes because we just arrived. He queried how long have I been there, and I responded within 5 minutes but not 10. The officer continued to claim the latter, and on my insistence I implored him not to exaggerate,” he narrated. He said Arthur who appeared infuriated, then called Oku over who then threatened to arrest him [the lecturer] if he did not move the car.
Dr Mensah told 3News that he told that he had not committed any offence to warrant an arrest, and went on to advise him “not to abuse his power by intimidating me”. “I further advised that we are all public servants and citizens of this country and must be accorded respect just as we accord the security agents the necessary courtesies,” he added.
After that, he said he entered his car but Oku continued to scream at him and “I asked him again to stop intimidating me and abusing his powers as he does not know who he is talking to, and that not everyone that he can abuse.
“This got Wilson Oku infuriated, by which time he had approached my car and stretched his hand to slap me. I then stopped the car and came out to challenge him why he did so. Immediately he had called for reinforcement, including one that seemed to me as his superior by name Joseph Nsoah,” he told 3News.
He said tried to draw Mr. Nsoah’s attention to the action of his men but he rather “joined his men, urging them on to shout that I move my car else they will arrest me. I eventually left the scene to my house as I was visibly shaking”.
Dr. Mensah said on the advice of a lawyer friend, he went to the Aiport Police Station to report the matter but was redirected to the Police post at the Airport. While he wants the IGP to sanction the three officers, he is also pleading that awareness is created among police personnel that no matter who a citizen is, in whatever status, they have every right to the highest dignity, protection and privacy.