Man accused of assaulting police officer with a hammer, released on bail

A-22-year-old man accused of harming and threatening a Police officer has been granted a GHS100,000.00 bail with four sureties by an Accra Circuit Court. 

The Circuit Court Seven ordered that Eric Odai’s sureties should be gainfully employed as one of them should be justified. They should deposit a certified true copy of their Ghana Cards at the Court’s Registry.

Prosecution should also file a certified copy of the police diary of action within seven days.
Odai, unemployed denied hitting the head of Police Inspector Patrick Sasraku with a hammer and threatening him to wit, “I will deal with you here in Teshie,” with the intent to put fear in the law enforcing officer.

He was also charged for allegedly stealing Gota handset, handcuffs and pepper spray belonging to the Ghana Police Service, which he also denied.

Police Inspector Daniel Ofori-Appiah, giving the facts, said Inspector Sakraku, the complainant, was stationed at Teshie District Police Command. On September 24, 2021, the Police received a complaint from one Mr Samuel Adjei Mensah that Odai and others were developing his (Mensah’s) land.

Inspector Sasraku, together with some officers as well as Mr Mensah went to the scene where they met Odai and the others at work.

He said in an attempt to arrest Odai, he pulled a knife at Inspector Sasraku and his colleagues but he was overpowered and during the arrest, he managed to grab a hammer from the ground with which he hit the Inspector’s forehead.

Odai, Inspector Ofori-Appiah said, also took police handcuffs in the complainant’s possession, a pepper spray and Gota handset and bolted.

Prosecution said the injured policeman was rushed to the hospital, where he was treated and discharged.

Not satisfied, Odai later called Inspector Sasraku on his phone and threatened to deal with him anytime he saw him.

He said on May 21, 2023, Odai was arrested from his hide-out.
His counsel, pleading for bail, said he needed to reasonably and easily consult his lawyer to prepare properly for his defense.

Prosecution, in opposing the bail application, said the accused person was a flight risk, he did not have a fixed place of abode and that the prosecution had completed its investigations and was ready for expeditious trial.