Journalist takes manager to court for assault over ‘expired’ product

A Journalist, Raphael Apetorgbor was said to have bought expired Savanna Dry from a shop. A brands manager of a locally manufactured alcoholic beverage, who allegedly assaulted a journalist last year over an expired product, has been put before a Magistrate Court in Accra. Isaac Mensah, Brands Manager of Distill Ghana Limited, local manufacturers of Savanna and Hunters, pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault and accordingly granted a 20,000-cedi bail with two sureties.

According to the prosecution, a Daily Express journalist, Raphael Apetorgbor on August 12, 2017 bought a bottle Savanna Dry from a shop at Sowutuom and discovered the product had expired.

The journalist consequently contacted Distill Ghana Limited, manufacturers of the product, and a decision was taken for Mr. Mensah who is a junior brands manager to meet Mr. Apetorgbor at Lapaz so he could take the manufacturers to where he bought the expired drink.

However, when they met on the August 16, 2017, the journalist had a change of mind, suspecting that should he show the manufacturers the location, they could cause the products to be removed from the shop before Food and Drugs Authority officials could get there. But Mr. Mensah who did not understand the sudden change of events, manhandled and heckled Apetorgbor, the prosecution told the court. Counsel for the accused, Muniru Mohammed, said his client was innocent, and said they have witnesses to testify to that effect.

He thus prayed the court presided over by Ms. Victoria Ghansah to admit the accused person to self-recognizance bail on grounds that he has been cooperative and was not going to jump bail. The court, however, refused the application for self-recognizance bail, but admitted him to bail which was pegged at GHC20,000 and two sureties. The case has meanwhile been adjourned to March 1.