A criminal matter in which the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey, was allegedly abused and slapped by a pensioner, is to be settled out of Court.

The case has had several adjustments since it was put before the Circuit Court in December 2023.

Nii Odoi Kwao II, also known as Robert Koomson, 61, pensioner, has denied causing road obstruction, issuing death threats, assaulting a public officer and offensive conduct.

Mr Samuel Bright Acquah therefore asked that the matter be brought back on September 26, 2023, for the Court to determine the next line of action.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Evans Kese had earlier told the Court that the Complainant in this case is a Police Officer Stationed at VVIP attached to the Greater Accra Regional Minister as his dispatch rider and resident of Madina.

Mr Koomson, the accused, a retired Computer Programmer, also resides at Osu, Accra and on December 8, 2022, at about 1310 hours, Mr Henry Quartey, the Accra Regional Minister, together with his security detail was visiting Osu.

DSP said on reaching a section of the road at Osu, he observed that the accused person had blocked the road with his Kia Bongo registration number GM129-17, preventing the regional minister and other road users from using the road.

The prosecution said the complainant signalled the accused to give way to the regional minister and other road users, but he refused to move his vehicle and retorted that, nobody would access the road unless he finished with what he was doing.

The Court heard that the action of the accused person created a heavy traffic jam on that stretch of the road and based on that, the regional minister came out of his car to advise the accused person to move his car from the road but he ignored him.

The Regional Minister stepped forward to the accused person but the accused person became violent and threatened that if the Regional Minister got closer to him, he would kill him, the prosecution added.

The accused, not satisfied with his action, went ahead to insult the regional minister that, he is a thief and had stolen state money but moving freely, DSP Kesse said.

He said the accused later abandoned his Kia Bongo in the middle of the road, locked up the vehicle, removed the ignition key, and kept it in his pocket. DSP Kesse said the accused person then rushed on the regional minister and slapped him.

He said the security detail of the Regional Minister swiftly arrested the accused person and handed him over to the Regional CID/Accra.

During the investigation, the accused person admitted the offence in his cautioned statement. He was later arraigned.