Interdiction of Lance Corporal Godzi to be lifted
The Police Administration will today lift the interdiction of Lance Corporal Frederick Amanor Godzi, the policeman who allegedly assaulted Ms Patience Osafo at the Shiashie branch of Midland Savings and Loans Limited.
According to the police, the action followed Godzi’s discharge by a court in December last year due to the lack of interest in the trial by the victim.
Disciplinary proceedings
A source close to the Police Headquarters, which disclosed this to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, said after the lifting of the interdiction, L/Cpl Godzi would, however, go through internal police disciplinary proceedings.
It said he would resume normal duties while he went through the disciplinary proceedings.
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Background
Godzi was charged with assault for allegedly beating Ms Osafo, a customer of Midland, on its premises when she went there to withdraw her money on July 19, 2018.
Checks by the Daily Graphic revealed that the four accused persons in connection with the case were discharged by the court, presided over by Ms Cecilia Dapaah Mireku, in December 2018.
The court discharged them due to the lack of interest in the trial by Ms Osafo.
She is said to have failed to appear before the court to testify and also failed to avail herself to help the police with investigations.
She was reported to have failed to avail herself to testify in the case on many occasions, leading to the decision of the court, in December 2018, to discharge L/Corporal Godzi, aka Skalla, for want of prosecution.
Also discharged by the court were three officials of Midland Savings and Loans who were charged for allegedly aiding Godzi to assault Ms Osafo.
They are Jocelyn Kukua-Fakah, the Operations Manager; Shirley Portia Anaman, Customer Service Officer, and Prince Ayensu, a driver.
The accused persons had been charged with assault and abetment of assault and pleaded not guilty.
Petition
Meanwhile, Ms Osafo has petitioned the Attorney-General over Godzi’s discharge for want of prosecution.
She also wants the prosecutor in the case investigated for possible collusion with the discharged policeman to escape justice.
A petition dated January 29, 2019 and signed by counsel for Ms Osafo, Mr Samson Lardy Anyenini, said she was “appalled and distraught” by news reports that Godzi had been discharged for want of prosecution “and wishes to state unequivocally that the court was misled by untruths that she was disinterested and non-cooperative”.