A Ghana Air Force warrant officer who allegedly attacked a pharmacist and female customer inside a Burma Camp pharmacy has been arrested by military police following widespread public outrage over viral CCTV footage showing the Wednesday afternoon assault.
The Ghana Armed Forces confirmed Thursday that Warrant Officer Class One Williams Mensah was apprehended at dawn by Ghana Military Police personnel and is assisting with investigations into the October 29 incident at e-PRIDE Chemist located within Burma Camp. The victims, who sustained injuries during the assault, have received medical attention and are also cooperating with investigators, according to a statement signed by Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director of the Department of Public Relations.
CCTV footage first shared by GhOne TV shows the soldier, dressed in civilian clothing, in a heated confrontation with a pharmacist before slapping both the attendant and a female customer inside the shop. The video shows him slapping the pharmacist and repeatedly striking a woman who attempted to film the altercation. Reports indicate that the incident began after the man demanded a refund of 65 cedis for medication he had previously sent a boy to purchase.
The footage sparked immediate public outrage on social media platforms, with Ghanaians condemning what they characterized as an abuse of power and unprovoked violence against civilians. The attack occurred around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at the pharmacy located within the military installation, raising questions about security protocols and civilian access to healthcare facilities on military premises.
The Ghana Armed Forces stated it will neither tolerate nor condone violent actions or behavior by its personnel toward civilians, warning that soldiers found engaging in such acts will not be allowed to go unpunished. The military assured the general public that it will not condone any acts of assault on civilians and will not shield any soldier engaged in such behavior.
That assurance matters in a context where military personnel sometimes escape accountability for civilian infractions due to institutional protectiveness or parallel disciplinary systems that operate separately from civilian courts. The decision to hand Mensah over to Cantonments Police for investigation signals that the military recognizes the severity of the offense and the need for transparent civilian prosecution, though whether that translates into actual conviction remains to be seen.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana expressed outrage over the incident, stating that such conduct not only violates the fundamental human rights and dignity of the victims but also constitutes a grave affront to public trust and the sanctity of healthcare spaces. The society visited the facility to verify the incident and assured the victims of its full support as investigations continue.
According to the society, pharmacy personnel across Ghana serve as frontline healthcare providers, ensuring access to essential medicines and professional care, and any form of violence against pharmacists or pharmacy support staff is an attack on public health that undermines the nation’s healthcare delivery system. That framing elevates the incident beyond individual assault to a broader threat against healthcare infrastructure, particularly relevant given that pharmacists often work alone or with minimal staff in small facilities where they’re vulnerable to aggressive customers.
Sources within the Ghana Armed Forces revealed that Mensah is attached to the Office of the Chief of Staff, a prestigious posting that suggests he held considerable standing within the military hierarchy before the incident. Warrant Officer Class One represents one of the highest non commissioned officer ranks in Ghana’s military structure, typically requiring decades of service and demonstrated leadership. That background makes the alleged assault particularly troubling, since senior NCOs serve as role models for junior personnel and representatives of military professionalism.
The dispute over 65 cedis, roughly four dollars at current exchange rates, seems disproportionate to the violence captured on video. The footage shows Mensah confronting the pharmacist aggressively before the situation escalates into physical violence. What triggered the initial confrontation, whether the medication was defective or the refund request was unreasonable, remains unclear from available information. But regardless of the commercial dispute’s merits, physically attacking healthcare workers violates both civilian law and military codes of conduct.
Ghana’s military maintains internal disciplinary procedures through courts martial that operate parallel to civilian courts, handling offenses that violate military regulations even when they don’t necessarily break civilian laws. For offenses like assault on civilians, both systems can theoretically apply, with the military pursuing administrative punishment like demotion or discharge while civilian courts handle criminal prosecution. The challenge is ensuring both processes move forward rather than having military punishment substitute for criminal accountability.
The Ghana Armed Forces statement indicated that disciplinary proceedings will likely be initiated against the soldier in accordance with military regulations should he be found guilty of misconduct. That conditional phrasing leaves room for the outcome to depend on investigation findings, though the existence of clear video evidence makes denying the assault difficult. The question becomes whether mitigating factors exist that might reduce culpability, such as provocation or mental health issues, though neither would justify violent response against unarmed civilians.
Burma Camp, officially known as Michel Camp, serves as the headquarters of Ghana’s Armed Forces and houses various military facilities including residences, offices, and service amenities like the pharmacy where Wednesday’s incident occurred. Civilians can access certain facilities within the camp, including medical and pharmaceutical services, though entry is typically controlled through security checkpoints. The presence of CCTV cameras at e-PRIDE Chemist proved crucial in documenting the assault and undermining any potential attempts to dispute what occurred.
Public reaction on social media platforms has been uniformly condemnatory, with commenters expressing frustration about military personnel abusing power and demanding that Mensah face full legal consequences. Some observers noted that the incident follows other recent cases of security personnel assaulting civilians, suggesting a pattern that requires systemic attention rather than treating each case as isolated misconduct. Others praised the Ghana Armed Forces for acting swiftly to arrest Mensah rather than delaying while conducting internal reviews.
The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana’s involvement signals that healthcare professional associations are monitoring the case closely and expect serious consequences. Their statement framed pharmacy spaces as sanctuaries that must remain safe for both workers and patients, implicitly criticizing inadequate security measures and calling for protections that would prevent similar incidents. Whether that leads to concrete security improvements at pharmacies, particularly those serving military or other high risk populations, remains uncertain.
The case now moves to Cantonments Police for investigation before potential prosecution through civilian courts. Ghana’s assault laws carry penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment depending on injury severity and circumstances. If convicted, Mensah could face criminal punishment alongside whatever administrative action the military takes, which might include dismissal from service, reduction in rank, or other disciplinary measures. The timeline for both processes will test public patience and the institutions’ commitment to accountability.
