A 35-year-old ex-convict, Isaac Boateng has shared the story of how he landed a five-year jail term following an altercation with a work colleague.
According to Boateng, he used to work as a security officer for a private company but got into a fight with a colleague at work after he reported his workmate for being late to work.
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“I was a security man in a private company and I got into a fight with a guy for coming late to work. He was late for work and I reported him to our manager who warned him. He came to me that I am being a threat to his work and that degenerated into a fight,” he told Oman Channel.
Spotting a scar on his right ear, Boateng said his colleague bit off part of his ear during the fight and he in turn slashed his colleague with a knife.
“It was out of outrage and I regret it very much. I slashed his jaw with the knife exposing some his teeth. I failed to report the case but he did and I was arrested and kept in police custody for about two months.
My family failed to come to my aid and I was arraigned before court. The judge made me understand that I had breached the law. I was asked to pay for the cost of his medical bills, an amount of GH¢4,500. It had only been three months of working with the company when the unfortunate incident happened. I not saved much from the GH¢300 I was earning monthly and the company said they could not help me because I was not a permanent worker. I was therefore jailed for five years,” he narrated.
Speaking about his time in prison, Boateng said he suffered from Onychomycosis as a result of the laborious work he was assigned. He showed his right fingers which he said had become disfigured as a result of the infection.
Having been out of jail for three weeks, Boateng said he has found it difficult to integrate into society. According to him, he has not been able to secure a job and hence has no means of making a living.
He is however pleading with benevolent persons to come to his aide. In the meantime, Boateng wants to return to his hometown of Akyem Oda Twereso.
