A soldier captured on video assaulting a pharmacy attendant and a female customer inside Burma Camp has been granted bail, even as prosecutors prepare to advance the case in court. WO1 Williams Mensah was released on a GH¢70,000 bail bond with two sureties after making his first appearance before a Magistrate Court in Accra.
The soldier, whose actions triggered nationwide outrage after CCTV footage went viral, is facing charges relating to assault and causing harm. Prosecutors told the court that further investigations are ongoing and asked for conditions that would ensure the accused returns for trial. The magistrate granted the request for bail but directed that the accused report periodically as required.
Mensah’s arrest followed public pressure and a strong reaction from the Ghana Armed Forces, which denounced his conduct and handed him over to the Military Police. The footage showed him storming the e-PRIDE Pharmacy at Burma Camp, demanding a refund of GH¢65 for a product he had already opened. When the attendant explained that store policy prevented a refund, the soldier grabbed and struck him. A female customer who attempted to intervene was also assaulted.
Both victims sustained injuries and have since given statements to investigators. The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana publicly condemned the attack, describing it as an affront to healthcare workers and a threat to safe working environments in health facilities.
Although he is now out on bail, the soldier still faces possible disciplinary action from the Ghana Armed Forces alongside the criminal proceedings. The court is expected to fix new dates for the continuation of the case once prosecutors indicate they are ready to proceed.
A soldier captured on video assaulting a pharmacy attendant and a female customer inside Burma Camp has been granted bail, even as prosecutors prepare to advance the case in court. WO1 Williams Mensah was released on a GH¢70,000 bail bond with two sureties after making his first appearance before a Magistrate Court in Accra.
The soldier, whose actions triggered nationwide outrage after CCTV footage went viral, is facing charges relating to assault and causing harm. Prosecutors told the court that further investigations are ongoing and asked for conditions that would ensure the accused returns for trial. The magistrate granted the request for bail but directed that the accused report periodically as required.
Mensah’s arrest followed public pressure and a strong reaction from the Ghana Armed Forces, which denounced his conduct and handed him over to the Military Police. The footage showed him storming the e-PRIDE Pharmacy at Burma Camp, demanding a refund of GH¢65 for a product he had already opened. When the attendant explained that store policy prevented a refund, the soldier grabbed and struck him. A female customer who attempted to intervene was also assaulted.
Both victims sustained injuries and have since given statements to investigators. The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana publicly condemned the attack, describing it as an affront to healthcare workers and a threat to safe working environments in health facilities.
Although he is now out on bail, the soldier still faces possible disciplinary action from the Ghana Armed Forces alongside the criminal proceedings. The court is expected to fix new dates for the continuation of the case once prosecutors indicate they are ready to proceed.
