Konta Bonkye a 52 year man has allegedly been physically assaulted by some officers of the Ghana Immigration Service who were on duty at a checkpoint in Jirapa on May 1, 2022.

Narrating his ordeal to Core News Ghana, the victim, popularly called Bonkye in Jirapa, said his heavy duty truck loaded with wood from Techiman was stopped by the Immigration Officers on duty at their checkpoint near Moyiri a suburb of Jirapa at about 11am.The officers requested to see the documents covering the wood and he provided them but the officers told him the documents were fake.

He said the officers rejected his explanations that the documents were authentic since they bore all the authorized signatures and stamps.

Mr. Bonkye asserted that the officers deliberately sought to frustrate him by resorting to the use of English Language claiming they couldn’t speak or understand Dagaare or Twi which he was also comfortable to use.

He indicated that it was at this point of his frustration that he grabbed the papers from the hands of one of the officers to show him the signatures and stamps but that the officer felt offended and started using his electric shocker to torture him.

According to him, all the 2 immigration officers on duty used their electric shockers on him until he collapsed.

He added that he was subsequently physically assaulted until he sustained an injury around his eye.

He reported the matter to the police before going to the St. Joseph’s Hospital where he has been admitted for treatment.

He also told Core News Ghana that he has lost an amount of Gh¢10,000.00 in the course of the scuffle.

Mr. Bonkye said as a driver for over 20 years, he has never met such immigration officers on the road. He therefore called for the immediate withdrawal of those Immigration Service officers from the Municipality saying their presence meant nothing more than unnecessary harassment of drivers, passengers and other road users.

He further stated that he doesn’t want any road user to also suffer in the hands of such officers whom he described as “heartless and lawless”.

Mr. Bonkye vowed not to allow the matter to be swept under the carpet. He threatened to drag the said officers before a court of competent jurisdiction for them to justify their actions and possibly pay damages.

Meanwhile the Municipal Chief Executive and Chairman of Jirapa Municipal Security Council, Honorable Nicholas Soyiri paid a visit to the family of the victim yesterday.

Commiserating with the family, he appealed to them to remain calm and exercise maximum patience as Police have launched a full scale investigations to unravel circumstances leading to the assault.

He assured them that if thorough investigation establishes that the officers are culpable, they will be made to face the full rigors of the law without fear or favour.

Efforts by Core News Ghana to establish contact with the said officers to hear their side of the story have proven futile.

Source: Core News Ghana