Police bag another ?Obroni? ... for assault

By Paa Kwesi Plange

The Airport Police last Saturday arrested Mr. Mark Sinclair, a British national, for assaulting a security guard of an Accra private security firm, West Coast Allied Security Limited (WASC) on duty in his house.

Sinclair, who is the Director of Techvaart Trading and Services Limited distributors of Gillette Blue II nearly turned 34 year old Jackson Darkey into a punching bag, by giving him two blinding slaps to the left side of his face and rained invectives and racial slurs on him for allegedly leaving his gate open.

At the end Darkey came through with a bloodshot eye and a swollen face. And as if that was not enough when he reported the incident to his Managing Director, Mr. Sam Malesi aka Simon Leonard, formerly of Intercom security limited he slashed half of his salary and interdicted him.

Malesi, who is American, justified the action of Sinclair telling him (Darkey) that ?the customer is always right.?

He also refused to give Darkey a medical form for hospital to treat his wounds but ordered the company?s Public Relations Manager, Mr. George Meyer, to ask Darkey to return his uniform and other items of the company in his possession within 24 hours.

A medical report from the La Polyclinic where Darkey was treated and signed Dr. S. Anim Boateng ,a Senior Medical Officer, confirmed that Darkey had?headache, a swollen face and red left eye.?

Based on this Darkey made an official report to the Airport police who arrested Sinclair five days after the report was made.

In his statement to the police he denied slapping Darkey but however admitted he held him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him through the entrance of his gate.

He is now on a police enquiry bail and under a provisional charge of assault.

Narrating his ordeal to the Chronicle, last week Monday a day after the incident Darkey said on the fateful day he reported for work at the appointed time of 6p.m on Sunday March 26th and was told by the colleague he went to relieve that the Sinclair had gone out with some friends. He said they returned about an hour and half later and as duty demands he went to open the gate for them and returned to his post.

He said immediately he closed the gate Sinclair whom he said reeked of alcohol and appeared tipsy emerged from the car, held him by the collar of his shirt, assaulted him and called him an animal.

Darkey said when he asked Sinclair what he had done to warrant the beatings he said Sinclair only blurted out that he did not want him in his house. He said Sinclair who had by then not lost his grip on his shirt shoved him and pushed him through the entrance of his gate ?but for neighbours who came to the scene he would have done his worst? Darkey intoned.

He said few minutes after the incident the Alarm Reactor Team of his company which had apparently being sounded by Sinclair?s wife arrived on the scene led by his Deputy Supervisor Mr. Ashirifie who after debriefing him took him to the office.

Confirming this in an interview with the Chronicle at the Airport office of the company its Public Relations Manager Mr. George Meyer who had earlier told the Chronicle that the matter was under investigation said,?Information we have so far cannot establish the truth and facts or otherwise as at now. There are no independent witnesses to confirm or deny claims and counterclaims made by our guard and our client?. He however disclosed that Sinclair had reported to them that he sacked Darkey from his house because he had left his gate open.

(Malesi initially refused to speak to the Chronicle but later asked Meyer to speak to us).

In a spirited defense of management?s action to interdict Darkey, Meyer apparently going by Sinclair?s report said Darkey?s action of leaving the gates open constituted a breach of security regulations and which justified his interdiction.