Prison officers allegedly assault taxi driver at Assin Atonsu

A taxi driver identified as Essien Antwi has reportedly been assaulted by Ghana Prisons Service officers at Assin Atonsu in the Central Region.

According to an eyewitness, the prison officers were travelling from Cape Coast towards Assin Fosu, while the taxi driver behind the cab with registration number GW-9112-12 was travelling from Assin Fosu towards Cape Coast.

At Assin Atonsu, a broken-down fuel tanker occupied one side of the road, leaving all the vehicles from both ends to use the other side of the road.

Hence, one vehicle had to stop for the others to pass, and in an instance where the taxi driver who had passengers onboard thought it was safe for him to go, the prison officers insisted the taxi driver should rather stop for them to go.

This resulted in an intense altercation between the prison officers and the driver, and, in the process, three personnel of the prison service jumped out of their vehicle and subjected the driver to severe beatings.

The driver, who went unconscious amid profuse mouth bleeding, was rushed to the St. Francis Xavier Hospital by some bystander drivers for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, an officer who did not disclose his identity explained that the taxi driver attacked the service personnel when they confronted him about moving his vehicle to pave the way for them.

A team of police officers led by the Central North Regional Crime Officer, Superintendent Daniel Kwabena Darko, and the District Commander, ASP Jacob Kumedzro, visited the victim at the hospital to ascertain the degree of the injuries.

Some prison service officers were detained but later released on police inquiry bail.

Investigations are ongoing by the police.