Management of Midlands Savings and Loans has suspended employees of the financial institution who were on duty when a police officer assaulted a client at its Shaishie office.
“We find it totally shameful that our staff on duty at the time of the incident could not restrain the police officer from inflicting any further harm on our customer,” the company said in a statement.
Lance Corporal Frederick Amanor assaulted Patience Osafo, who was trying to withdraw money.
A police officer got physical after Patience Osafo refused to leave the banking hall with her grandchild because her money had not been given to her.
The incident was captured on video and went viral on social media sparking condemnation from the public.
“Our staff on duty who were witnesses to this cruel act and could not restrain the police officer or ensure the safety of our customer and the child will also be dealt with according to our internal disciplinary procedures. For this reason, all staff involved have been suspended as internal disciplinary procedures continue.”
The company also plans to compensate Patience Osafo.
“The legal team is in the process of fashioning out an appropriate compensation package for our customer and same shall be communicated to her in due course.”
Patience Osafo has also lodged a formal complaint at the Legon Police Station and the police have said that the officer will face all applicable charges.
Already, Frederick Amanor has been interdicted and his uniform and all other police accouterments taken from him, pending internal disciplinary proceedings.
He is expected to be arraigned later on Monday, July 23, 2018.
Possible lawsuit
The president of IMANI Africa, Franklin Cudjoe, is considering siding with some lawyers to drag Midland Savings and Loans to court for allowing the incident.
Franklin Cudjoe said the police officer in question could not have acted without instruction from officials of Midland.
“Now that the bank has said they are investigating the matter, it shouldn’t actually end there. I’m likely to talk to a few lawyers to sue the bank so that the bank will pay substantial damages so that the lady is properly compensated…I don’t think the best thing to do is to ask the police or any security guard to walk the woman out. The policeman was acting on instruction.”
The Executive Secretary of the Importers and Exporters Association, Sampson Asaki Awingobit also said the staff on duty at the time deserved to be fired.
He also said the police officer was likely acting under instruction.
“The management should fire the staff at that bank. And the police should not arrest the police officer alone because someone may have instructed the police to do what he did. It could be the supervisor, the tellers or the operations manager of the bank, so they should also be arrested….They all committed the same crime,” he said.
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citifmonline
