4 Fans in court over assault on Sharks coach
Four supporters of Sekondi Eleven Wise were last Thursday arraigned before a Takoradi Circuit Court for their alleged involvement in an attack on Coach Kobina Amissah of Elmina Sharks.
Advertisement
The attack followed a Division One League match between Sharks and Proud United at the Gyandu Park in Sekondi on May 28, 2016.
Mr Amissah was said to have fallen unconscious during the attack and was rushed to the Essikado Government Hospital, near Sekondi, and later referred to the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in the Central Region for further attention.
The accused, namely Alfred Kobina Eshun, alias Kojo Peace, John Dapaah, alias Badu Bodee, Frank Kartey, alias Abota, and Mena Badu, were jointly charged on three counts of conspiracy to commit crime to wit, assault. The first three accused persons were charged for offensive conduct, and Mena slapped with additional charge of assault.
The court, presided over by Madam Rita Deku, however, granted them bail in the sum of GH¢10, 000 each with two sureties each, one of whom should be a public servant to reappear on July 12, 2016
The facts of the case were that on May 22, 2016, there was a Division One match between Sekondi Eleven Wise and Elmina Sharks at Elmina during which a scuffle ensued among supporters of the two clubs.
According to the prosecution, the accused then went to Coach Amissah, claiming that they had been attacked by his supporters so they would retaliate on their return encounter in Sekondi.
The police said on Saturday, May 28, 2016, there was another Division One pairing between Elmina Sharks and Proud United at Sekondi, and that prior to the match, Eshun called at a Radio Station in Takoradi, where he used the medium to warn Coach Amissah not to show up or else he would be attacked.
The prosecution alleged, however, that the Coach ignored the threat and came with the team to honour the match after which he granted interviews to a number of radio station reporters, alleging further that the accused and others had then laid ambush at the main gate with the aim to attack him.
According to the police, some supporters of Eleven Wise, including the accused, started rushing on him as he went out of the park, beat him mercilessly to the point of unconsciousness but he was rescued by some sympathisers who quickly rushed him to the hospital.
The police indicated that the team manager of Sharks, Mr George Wiredu, later reported the matter to the police and within five days the suspects were invited to the police station and after investigation they were charged with the offences.