Two soldiers nabbed over assault

Page 31: Daily Graphic, March 16, 2010.
Story: Albert K. Salia
TWO soldiers, one of whom allegedly stabbed a policeman on Sunday, were yesterday handed over to the Nima Police for further investigations.
Corporal Titus Quarcoo of the Recce Regiment and Corporal Dono Dickson of the 49 Engineers at Burma Camp were alleged to have assaulted someone in front of the Nima Police Station and when the police went to the rescue of the victim, Titus allegedly pulled a dagger and stabbed Corporal Prince Sutame of the Nima Police and absconded with his friend.
The Military Police, however, arrested and handed over the two soldiers to the Nima Police upon hearing reports of their conduct.
Briefing the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio Atinga, said a 23-year-old woman, Josephine Dela Gligo, who was at the centre of the controversy, allegedly sought the assistance of the two soldiers to retrieve her items from her ex-boyfriend.
She said Josephine and the two soldiers went to the residence of her boyfriend, Mr Kwame Sarfo, who is the complainant in the case, in a taxi.
She said when Mr Sarfo returned from church, the three visitors informed him of the reason for the visit.
According to DCOP Atinga, Mr Sarfo asked them to wait for his mother to return from church, as the items were in her room.
She said the soldiers wanted to ruffle Mr Sarfo so he quickly called a policeman to his aid.
The regional commander said when the policeman came, the two soldiers were still unrepentant in their behaviour, threatening to break into Mr Sarfo's mother’s room.
She said the policeman then asked Mr Sarfo to lodge a complaint at the Nima Police Station.
She said unknown to Mr Sarfo, Josephine and the two soldiers had already taken the lead to the police station while he (Sarfo) and the policeman were having their discussion.
At the police station, she said, the two soldiers became unruly, during which Cpl Dickson slapped a friend of Mr Sarfo’s.
DCOP Atinga said in the ensuing confusion, some policemen went to the victim’s rescue but Cpl Quarcoo pulled a dagger and stabbed Cpl Sutame.
Regrettably, she said, Josephine denied soliciting the assistance of the soldiers to retrieve her items from Mr Sarfo's house.