About hundred supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ningo-Prampram Constituency yesterday stormed the Prampram District Magistrate Court in support of their Constituency Youth Organiser, Habib Mohammed, who is standing trial for allegedly punching Samuel George Nartey.
The youth organiser, who happens to be an aide to Hon Enoch Teye Mensah, Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault and was granted bail.
He was said to have punched the eye of the NDC parliamentary candidate elect for the constituency, Sam George, during the party’s recent parliamentary primaries.
The supporters besieged the court premises clad in red bands amidst drumming, dancing and chanting of war songs to express their displeasure at the prosecution of their youth organiser.
The facts of the case as presented by Inspector John Mensah-Sabbah are that on Saturday, November 21, 2015 during the NDC presidential and parliamentary primaries, Habib Mohammed assaulted Sam George in the upper left eye while he was addressing some journalists.
Sam George was issued with a police medical report form to attend hospital, which he has duly returned to the police after treatment and examination by a medical officer.
Habib was on the day of the incident invited by the police and in his statement he denied assaulting Sam George and claimed the complainant rather punched him.
He also accused Sam George of causing trouble in the constituency.
During the trial at the court presided over by His Worship John Evans Ocran on Tuesday, counsel for the accused person, Prince Hedo, prayed the court to allow the matter to be settled out of court since the accused person and the complainant belong to the same political party.
He further appealed to the court to consider the interest and unity of the party and allow the two parties to settle the case through the party structure since the party has competent people who can resolve the matter.
The court noted that although the case is a criminal matter, it is also a misdemeanour with minor injury and that Section 73 of the Court Act permits parties involved in such cases to resolve the matter out of court within a reasonable time and report to the court.
He therefore granted the request of the counsel for the accused person and entrusted the matter to the constituency party chairman, Jacob Lartey Ayin, tasking him to settle the matter.
However, Samuel George could not appear in court for the second time since the case started. It was adjourned to January 19, 2016 for the matter to be settled out of court.
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