A 24-year-old commercial driver has been convicted with a fine of Gh¢14,400.00 for biting the finger of a police officer in an attempt to resist arrest.
Ebenezer Inkoom, a taxi driver, was allegedly spotted by police officers parked at an undesignated place to pick up passengers on Friday, April 7, 2023, at Assin-Fosu in the Central Region.
According to Chief Inspector Gilbert Ayongo, they approached him to caution him and directed him to leave with his passengers immediately.
But he replied that he would continue to pick up passengers from that spot until the police arrested all other drivers who did the same.
He reportedly returned to the exact spot barely an hour after the encounter with the police to pick up more passengers.
Chief Inspector Ayongo said the officers sat in his vehicle to be driven to the Regional MTTD office but he instead, drove the officers to an unknown destination and attempted to escape.
While resisting the arrest, he bit the finger of General Constable Ayamba, inflicting severe injuries on his hand.
He then drove the vehicle into the nearby bush, abandoned it, and absconded.
A civilian motor rider who witnessed the incident quickly rushed the injured police officer to a hospital.
The other officers then reported the incident to ASP Wonder Lumor, the Central North Regional MTTD Commander, who deployed two plain-clothed policemen to the scene.
A thorough check on the vehicle revealed that he had failed to validate his driver’s license since Tuesday, February 1, 2022, and was driving a commercial vehicle at an unauthorized age of 24, instead of 25 years and above.
The suspect was later brought to the station and was detained to assist with the investigation.
He was later arraigned before the Assin-Fosu District Court where he pleaded guilty to 13 different charges including causing harm, unlawful harm, resisting arrest, and some seven road traffic offenses.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Abdul Majeed Illiasu added that he will serve nine months in prison if he defaults on his fine.