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A 62-year-old individual involved in illegal mining, accused of splashing a liquid suspected to be acid on his ex-girlfriend, Victoria Salamatu Safia, 35, has been detained in prison by the Tarkwa District Magistrate Court. The accused, John Tandoh, also known as Kojo Egyaguma, will face charges of causing harm, with his plea yet to be recorded. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday, November 9, 2023.
According to Sergeant Patrick Essien, who prosecuted the case, the accused and the victim had been working together at an illegal mining site in Prestea for about a year. Tandoh had proposed a romantic relationship with Victoria, which she accepted, and they had been living together since then.
However, after a few months, Victoria noticed a change in Tandoh’s behavior, leading to frequent arguments without apparent reason. Subsequently, she decided to end the relationship.
On October 20, 2023, while they were at their usual mining site, a dispute erupted between them, and Tandoh left the scene but later returned with a bowl covered by a plastic bag. The victim assumed it was food. Tandoh, instead, approached her, attacked her, and poured the suspected acid on her head, face, and other parts of her body. The victim suffered severe burns and cried out for help. A nearby witness came to her aid, but Tandoh threatened him with a kitchen knife and fled.
The victim was rushed to the Prestea Government hospital, where she is currently receiving medical treatment. Tandoh was arrested on the same day by a Good Samaritan and handed over to the police in Prestea. It was revealed during preliminary investigations that Tandoh had been sentenced to 15 years for a similar offense in 2012 by the Tarkwa Circuit Court. However, he was released on amnesty in June 2020 after serving 8 years of his sentence.
