Prime News Ghana

Kona Bar incurs wrath of women after bouncer slapped customer

By Mutala Yakubu
kona_now
Kona Bar and Grill
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A gender advocacy group, Alliance for Women in Media Africa, AWMA, is calling for legal action against the manager and a bouncer at the Kona restaurant's, Osu Accra, for allegedly assaulting a customer Portia Asantewa Duah.

The incident happened last week Friday after Portia Asantewa Duah and her friends refused to leave the eatery on the instructions of the bouncer called BB.

BB is reported to have said Portia and her friends were simply occupying space and wanted them to make way for others buying products. But Asantewa Duah insisted the table had just been cleared by the waitress after she bought drinks. She refused to budge and requested for a receipt as proof of her patronage.

BB allegedly slapped her twice in the face. Portia with red and swollen eyes had to seek medical treatment.

The manager of the restaurant is reported to have asked the victim not to pursue the matter.

AWMA is demanding that the bouncer and manager of the restaurant are hauled before the law for their actions.

Read full press statement

ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN IN THE MEDIA AFRICA (AWMA)
                                 
Accra, August 21, 2017 – The Alliance for Women in the Media issues this statement to condemn the violence suffered by PORTIA ASANTEWA DUAH on Friday 18th August at Kona Bar and Grill, Osu, Accra.Ms Portia AsantewaDuah was allegedly slapped twice in her face by a bouncer named BB at the above establishment.

The incident was reported to the establishment’s Manager. The Manager’s response was that she, and the group who accompanied her, should simply let the incident go.

According to Ms Portia Asantewa Duah, below is a record of what happened on Friday 18th August.

THE INCIDENT

Ms Portia Asantewa Duah was with a group of friends at this restaurant and was asked to leave by a bouncer, named BB, who alleged they had not bought drinks and were simply occupying space. One of Miss Duah’s friends explained this was not the case. They had bought drinks; the waitress had simply cleared their table. This bouncer did not accept this explanation.

Ms Portia approached a waitress and asked for a receipt as evidence of drinks purchased. Ms Portia began to speak with her friends explaining the incident was embarrassing.

The bouncer told Ms Portia to keep quiet; he was not speaking with her. He then slapped her across her face, twice.  Ms Portia sustained swollen and red eyes from the slap. Her shocked friends approached the manager to relay what had happened. The Manager’s response was that they should let the incident go.

AFTERMATH

On Saturday 19th August, Madame Portia spent an entire day – from 9am to 11pm - dealing with this traumatic incident. She went to two different hospitals as the first did not have an eye clinic, then to the police station and then had to deal with the police’s bureaucracy. She has since spent GHC300 on seeking medical attention and getting a medical report for the police.

ACTION

The Alliance for Women in the Media:-

    supports the victim
    condemns the alleged violence of the bouncer named BB.
    requires this be treated as a matter of criminal assault.
    requires bouncer face trial and sanction
    requires The Manager must be sanctioned for their unacceptable response
    requires Kona to issue a public apology
    requires Kona to issue policy for dealing with violence in their workplace

* Alliance for Women in the Media (AWMA) is a Women in Media and Communications advocacy and empowerment group made up of over 150 professionals from across the media industry in Ghana.