The security services and residents of Akaa Community in the Jasikan Municipality of the Oti Region have intensified their search for a 74-old-man who allegedly tied a nine-year old boy to a tree for “stealing” oranges.
Timothy Gyamfi Mensah, a retired Circuit Supervisor who allegedly tied the Primary School boy with nylon rope to an orange tree for allegedly stealing two oranges, has absconded after the boy was rescued.
The boy was rescued by some community members after several searches by his grandmother later discovered he was tied to the tree after the incident went viral in a video.
Checks by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in the vicinity indicated that the entire Akaa community was surprised that a retired professional teacher could do that to a school pupil.
Mr. Entwi Baikaa, a native of Akaa and Government Appointee to the Jasikan Municipal Assembly, who confirmed the incident to the GNA in an interview, said the boy went to Mr Mensah’s house and plucked two oranges, but met his predicament when the furious man, grabbed him, and molested him by tying him to the orange tree.
He said unfortunately, the majority of Akaa inhabitants were only informed by social media when the video went viral.
Mr. Baikaa who said Mr. Gyamfi was currently at large, added that after the incident, Madam Ama Bekoe Donkor, the grandmother of the boy took him to the Jasikan Municipal Hospital, where he had been treated and discharged and is currently back at Akaa.
He said a team of Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service from Jasikan who were at the community to investigate the case were led to the crime scene by the victim.
Mr. Baikaa, who is also acting as an Assemblyman for Akaa Electoral Area, said the case had been reported to the Jasikan Municipal Chief Executive, Mrs. Elizabeth Kessiwaa Anim-Adjanor, who promised to make sure that justice was served.
Mr. Annobil Isaac, Jasikan Municipal Director of Health Services, when contacted by GNA, said the case had not come to her attention but promised to check from the OPD and get back on Monday.
Meanwhile, the Police have mounted a search to arrest the perpetrator.