By Beatrice Oppon
An Accra Circuit Court has granted a ¢50,000 bail with three sureties to a 61-year-old man, Nii Odoi Kwao, accused of slapping the Greater Accra Regional Minister.
The sureties are to be family members of the accused. The accused allegedly slapped the Minister in traffic after threatening to kill him.
He has been charged with causing road obstruction, assault and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
According to the prosecution, on December 8, 2022, at about 1 p.m., Minister Henry Quartey and his security detail were visiting Osu, and on reaching a section of the road, the accused person had blocked the road with his truck, preventing the Minister and his entourage and other road users from accessing the road.
ASP Evans Kesse said a Police Officer signalled the accused to give way to the Minister and other road users, but he declined. The accused is alleged to have retorted that no one can access the road until he finished with what he was doing.
The Prosecutor said the action of the accused caused heavy vehicular traffic on that stretch of road.
The Minister tried to intervene, but the accused person ignored him and became violent. The accused allegedly threatened to kill the Minister if he got closer to him.
He is also alleged to have hurled insults at the Minister, removed the ignition key from his vehicle, and abandoned it in the middle of the road.
He is alleged to have then rushed on the Minister and slapped him.
The security detail of the Minister arrested the accused and handed him over to the Police.
The Judge, Samuel Bright Acquah, made a call for the Minister’s security to be changed following the incident.
