By Ernest Addo
The administrators of the Estate of Gerald Abbey Mensah(deceased) are still reeling under the daunting challenges of staying without their beloved son and sibling for the
rest of their lives.
Worst still, is living with the fact that the person who killed their son works with the Malian Consulate in Ghana and has been withdrawn to her mother land to enjoy with her family
without being made to face the law.
Not even letters from lawyers to demand compensation for the tortuous and criminal act would prick the minds of officials at the consulate to respond to the issues.
Consequently, the administrators are demanding that Malian Consulate in Ghana pays an amount of One Million Ghana Cedis (GHS 1,000,000.00) as “compensation for loss of life
of the deceased, consequential losses, reasonable compensation for mental distress of the dependents of the deceased, and additional compensation in respect of expenses actually
incurred before and after the death of the deceased by the dependents within Two (2) Weeks of receipt of this letter.”
The New Crusading GUIDE gathered that the consulate has not even dignified the lawyers with a response, sparking debates about how foreign consuls disregard the countries laws and
indigence with reckless abandon.
Narrating the family’s ordeal in a letter dated 2 November 2023, lawyer for the administrators, Akwasi Boamah ESQ, stated that on 28 March 2021, Fatoumata Dite Hilda Barry, a worker with the Mali Consulate in Ghana rammed into a 207 Benz commercial
vehicle with registration No. AE 2857-13 with her car with registration number CD 2747-20 which belongs to the consulate.
“This caused the commercial vehicle to roll over, through which its passenger side hit a streetlight pole among others,” causing Gerald Abbey Mensah(late), who was on board the commercial vehicle and was seated at its front side to sustain serious injuries to his neck, multiple cervical spine fractures among others, as contained in a medical report dated 31 May 2022.
The deceased whilst receiving medical treatment at 37 Military Hospital died on 30th March 2021.
A police report issued on 24 June 2022 also revealed that the driver of the Mali Consulate’s vehicle blatantly failed to comply with the traffic signs at the Opeibea Traffic Intersection in Accra and drove dangerously, recklessly, and negligently through the red lights.
“This caused her vehicle to crash with the commercial vehicle aforesaid leading to its passengers sustaining various degrees of serious injuries and some deaths being recorded which includes the deceased.
Undoubtedly, the account in the police report clearly shows that the driver of your consulate’s vehicle conducted herself recklessly and was in total disregard to the safety of other road users when she blatantly failed to observe the traffic signal.
Further, the police report reveals that, as at the time of the accident, the said vehicle belonging to your consulate was not insured contrary to the laws of Ghana,” the lawyer stated.
The late Gerald Abbey Mensah prior to his death, this paper learnt, was a student at University of Ghana pursuing a degree program and was an employee of Enterprise Insurance. The deceased was survived by his parents and siblings. The deceased until his demise was an enterprising young man, the breadwinner of his parents and his death has brought untold hardship to them.
Meanwhile, calls to the Malian Consulate to respond to the issues about the compensation has proved futile, as calls to the consulate were not answered.
Stay tuned for more.
