Four officers of Quick Credit and Micro Investment Company Limited in Tarkwa have been fined for causing harm to a security officer. Michael Afoakwa, Richard Anim, Pius Abekah and Emmanuel Forson, who work as field officers for the company, were each fined GH?3,600 or sentenced to five years in prison with hard labor.
The court ordered the convicts to pay GH?10,000 as compensation to the victim, Michael Kwesi Affum of G4S security company. The four officers pleaded guilty to causing harm and abetting crime and were sentenced accordingly.
According to the prosecution, Affum had taken a loan of GHC1,500 from Quick Credit but failed to make repayments on time. On July 6, the accused persons went about recovering loans from defaulters and confronted Affum on the street in Lay-out. An argument ensued when they demanded immediate repayment.
In an attempt to seize Affum's phone, Afoakwa grabbed his left arm and twisted it behind his back, fracturing it in the process. Affum cried out in pain from the injury. Realizing the harm done, the accused persons rushed Affum in their car to a nearby private clinic but he was referred to the municipal hospital due to the severity of the injury.
Affum later reported the incident to the police on the same day. On July 10, Afoakwa was arrested and admitted his guilt during investigation, implicating Anim, Abekah and Forson. The three others were arrested on July 13 and charged in court along with Afoakwa after investigations.
The incident shows the dangers of using aggressive tactics to recover loans from defaulters. While loan repayments are important, companies must ensure their recovery methods remain lawful and do not cause undue harm. The court rightly punished the accused persons for their actions, sending a message that such behavior will not go unchallenged. However, compensation of GH?10,000 may not fully cover the victim's medical bills and suffering. Quick Credit must also reevaluate its employee training to minimize the likelihood of such incidents in the future. While taking a firm stance, companies must still act with empathy and proportionality, ensuring recovery efforts cause no more distress than necessary. When mishandled, even well-intentioned actions can have severe repercussions for all involved.
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