Court acquits and discharges Zuleika
An Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday acquitted and discharged Zuleika Asamoah Boateng, wife of Mr Stephen Asamoah-Boateng, Former Minister of Information and National Orientation on two of the three charges leveled against her.
The court acquitted and discharged her on assault and obstructing the work of a security officer but was found guilty on using insulting language but was cautioned and discharged.
It said the accused was acquitted and discharged, on the charges because “they were against her fundamental human rights and her action was in self defence against her property.”
“In retrieving her passport, it was necessary to apply force which she did,” the court added.
The court presided over by Mrs Nana Adwoa Coleman said that Zuleika had the right to use force to retrieve her passport from Nana Kwame Osei, officer of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), complainant, when he refused to release it to her.
It said that the complainant as a public officer could only seize her passport by resorting to due process of the law of which he (complainant) did not do.
The court said during the period of the seizure, Mr Asamoah-Boateng had not been arrested for committing any offence.
It said the situation where the police could arrest a person on suspicion of committing a crime was not applicable in this case.
Police Superintendent (Sup) A. Boye told the court that on June 14, last year, Nana Osei received instructions from the Greater Accra Regional Director of BNI that Mr Asamoah Boateng was travelling out of the country and he (Nana Osei) should prevent him.
He said that the complainant was also directed to invite Mr Asamoah-Boateng to the BNI office the following day.
The prosecution said on the same day, Mr Asamoah-Boateng was obstructed at Kotoka International Airport in the company of Zuleika and their two children, going through departure formalities.
Sup Boye said that Zuleika was in possession of her children’s passports while Mr Asamoah-Boateng was holding his and that of Zuleika, which he submitted for checking-in.
He said that Mr Asamoah-Boateng pleaded with the complainant to allow him to travel but Nana Osei declined, and this infuriated Mr Asamoah-Boateng, who shouted and made calls on his mobile phone.
Sup Boye said Zuleika charged on the complainant held the collar of his shirt and forcibly snatched her husband’s passport which the complainant had taken from him.
The prosecution said Zuleika thereafter rained insults on the complainant and when a report was made to the Airport Police, she was arrested.
Source: GNA