A Uniformed Policeman, Lance Corporal Jimmy Tenu, is alleged to have stormed a drinking spot at Anlo Kordzi, a suburb of Ho, last Monday, and given the 24-year-old attendant, Phillip Akpi, the beating of his life for allegedly going out with his girlfriend. The girl at the centre of the controversy is a 24-year-old, light-skinned Francisca Ayifri Kudzega, who is also a sales girl. Eyewitnesses who initially thought the bar attendant had committed an unpardonable crime reportedly thronged the scene to catch a glimpse of the beating, only to be told that the two had clashed over a girl. Having learnt that the officer was rather a jealous rival who was bent on doing anything to claim ‘the object of his interest’, they had no alternative than to rain insults on the stoutly-built policeman for wasting his strength on an innocent young man. Not satisfied with the alleged beating he had given to Phillip, the policeman allegedly left and returned with two of his colleagues also in uniform, to arrest the young man. Daily Guide learnt that when they arrived, Mr. Akpi pleaded with them to be allowed to put on his shirt and close the shop, an excuse that did not go down well with the men, one of whom was reported to have the name Edwin Awuku on his tag. When Daily Guide caught up with Phillip for his side of the story, he explained that Ms. Francisca Kudzega has been his girlfriend for over a year, but for some time now, he suspected that she was cheating on him. But after all attempts to get her to turn a new leaf failed, he decided to break up with her; a move he alleged Francisca did not take kindly to as she kept calling him with different telephone lines since he was no longer picking calls from her cell phone number. Phillip narrated that he later received a series of calls from a man who used the same number Francisca had used to call him, threatening that he would deal with him (Phillip) if he did not stay away from his girlfriend. The bar attendant said the person called him again last Sunday and threatened that he was coming to his shop “to discipline him”. Last Monday, he was at the shop at about 11 am when a well- built policeman stormed the shop and warned him to stay clear of his girlfriend, but when he (Phillip) tried to explain that he was the one who rather ended the relationship, the officer allegedly pounced on him, held his neck, pulled him from his seat and dragged him outside. According to Phillip, the scuffle came to an abrupt halt when the cop’s button came off. After picking up the button from the ground, the officer turned to leave but threatened that he will be back. He explained that a few minutes later, a police vehicle with registration number GP 2274, pulled up with two more uniformed men on board and told him he was under arrest. He pleaded with them to allow him put on his shirt and also close up the shop but Edwin Awuku held him by the trousers and attempted pulling him into the vehicle. He was however saved by the timely intervention of a former Court Registrar who promised to send him to the police station. He later reported to the station where his statement was taken and was he asked to report daily at the police station. Lance Corporal Tenu however told DAILY GUIDE that he had gone to the boy’s shop with the genuine intention of warning him to stop denting his (Police) image. According to him, the boy was spreading rumours that he (the Policeman) had sex with the girl on the floor, behind the OLA Girls SHS. He explained that he saw no reason why the boy should fabricate such a story about him when he had actually rented a room for the girl. “How can I have sex with someone on the ground when I have even rented room for her”, he told DAILY GUIDE. The corporal said on reaching the store, he pulled the boy by his trousers only for the boy to also hold him by his uniform. In the process, his button (the corporal) removed, so he went back to the station to lodge a complaint for the arrest of the boy. Source: Daily Guide