The Tarkwa District Magistrate Court has remanded a 62-year-old illegal miner into prison custody after he allegedly poured liquid that appeared to be acid on his 35-year-old ex-girlfriend Victoria Salamatu Safia.
Although his plea has not been accepted, the accused, John Tandoh, also known as Kojo Egyaguma, will be charged with causing harm. He is expected to reappear before the court on Thursday, November 9, 2023.
Sergeant Patrick Essien, the prosecutor, informed the court, which was chaired by Mr. Charles Owusu Nsiah, that the victim and the accused both reside in Prestea and have been co-workers at an illegal mining site nearby for a year.
He claimed that Tandoh asked Victoria to be his partner at work, and the two have been living together ever since.
Months later, according to Sargeant Essien, the victim saw that Tandoh no longer treated her with the same respect and that they constantly argued without reason, so she made the decision to break up with him.
On October 20, 2023, at around 7:00 a.m, according to the prosecutor, the two went to the typical mining site to dig for gold. However, as they were going about their separate tasks, a misunderstanding occurred between them, and Tandoh left for town.
After a few minutes, Tandoh returned to the site with a bowl covered with a polythene bag, and the victim thought it was food.
The prosecution said Tandoh walked towards the victim, attacked her, and poured the liquid suspected to be acid on her head, face, and other parts of the body.
A witness who was working nearby heard the victim’s agonizing screams for help and went to the scene to try to arrest Tandoh. However, Tandoh pulled out a kitchen knife, threatened to stab the victim, and fled.
He said the victim was rushed to the Prestea Government Hospital, where she is currently on admission and receiving treatment.
The same day, at around 1430 hours, according to Sargeant Essien, the accused was taken into custody from his hiding place by a good samaritan and turned over to the Prestea police.
The Tarkwa Circuit Court sentenced Tandoh to 15 years in 2012 for a similar offense; however, he was released on amnesty in June 2020 after serving eight years, according to preliminary police investigations presented to the court.
