Dutch Diplomat Beats Guard with Cutlass

A “Safetech Security” guard on duty at the residence of a Dutch diplomat, was on Monday, this week, lashed by the diplomat who used a locally-made grass-cutting matchet (popularly known as Langa Langa).

A “Chronicle” team of reporters on their beat, coincidentally met the scene around 12:45 noon, at a time the victim was being rescued by some other “Safetech security” guard on patrol. The residence is directly opposite the Indian High Commission at Roman Ridge, a suburb of Accra.

All efforts to get the name of the victim proved futile. Even when “Chronicle” wanted to talk to the victim at the scene he was prevented by one of his superiors, who had come to rescue him.

When Charles Savior, a Manager of Safetech was asked of the name of the security guard, “you talk to the director of operations” was what he said. The director of operations also did not disclose the name to us when contacted later.

The “Safetech” guard’s charge, in opening the main gates for the couple who were returning from town. This is not the first time foreigners have subjected such inhuman treatments to Ghanaian in discharging their duties.

Readers would recall that a Malaysian expatriate, who was working for the Ghana Telecom, was deported from this country when he spat on the face of his driver for being late.

Chronicle gathered that on entering the house, the couple alighted from their car and immediately pounced on the guard. For fears of his life the guard begun to run in the house while they followed him until he was trapped into a corner.

The wife who had already snatched the locally made cutlass from the garden boy used the flat side of it to hit the guide several times. Neighbours, who heard the scream of the guard run to the place, stood behind the wall and peeped into the house as the diplomats beat the guard.

Others also moved into an uncompleted storey-building nest to the house, quickly climbed upstairs so that they could have a full view of what was happening in the house. “Safetech patrol men were alerted by onlookers who quickly entered the house to rescue the victim.

Surprisingly, another guard was asked to take over from the helpless, molested guard immediately after he had been taken into the company van.

“We are working directly with the Dutch Embassy which is our client and not the individual who beat up the guard,” said Charles Savior, a manager of “Safetech” when contacted yesterday.

“Our director of operations had gone to the Dutch Embassy with the victim,” he continued. According to him, the victim was treated on the same day at the company’s hospital. He asked that we contacted the director of operations hours later. “Safetech Director of Operations, when contacted later denied knowledge about it.

The Dutch Embassy, when contacted, flatly denied knowledge of the incident. A lady who only gave her name as Patricia in talking to the “Chronicle” said, “I am not aware of this, I just returned from holidays.”

When she later directed us to talk to Director of Administration of the Embassy the case was not different.” I am not aware, of such assault so I cannot comment until I receive any complaint,” he said