Photos: Lebanese man cruelly abuses female employee in Ghana, dips her face into blended pepper for 'working slowly'

A 25-year-old female employee of the Marwako Restaurant in Accra has been allegedly assaulted on February 26th, by a Lebanese supervisor for fidgeting with a blender and working slowly.

The assailant, Jihad Thaabn, 26, a brother-in-law of the owner of the Marwako Restaurant, is said to have angrily grabbed the neck of the victim and dipped her face into blended pepper, which he had poured onto a table.

The victim, Evelyn Boakye, whose face was allegedly rubbed in the blended pepper for more than 10 minutes while Thaabn squeezed her neck and yelled abusive words on her, had to cry for help as she pleaded with Thaabn to let her go.

According to Evelyn, who is said to be on the verge of losing her sight, when she was finally freed, she struggled to find her way to a sink and tried to wash her face and eyes under running water with the help of some of her working colleagues.

However, while she was washing her face, Thaabn grabbed her again and locked her up in one of the rooms in the restaurant, while her eyes were still hurting.

She said her colleagues were also prevented from rescuing her. After shouting for help to no avail, Evelyn said she was finally released from the room after more than six hours of being locked up and warned not to report the incident to the police.

Below is a press statement by Marwako Fast Foods on the alleged assault on Evelyn.

"The management of Marwako Fast Foods deeply regrets the alleged incident of assault at its Abelenkpe branch on Sunday, February 26, 2017.

The branch supervisor at the centre of the unfortunate development has since been suspended, without prejudice, pending investigations and disciplinary sanctions over the alleged act.

Management assures its clients and the general public that it does not and will never condone mistreatment of its workers and therefore condemns in no uncertain terms the alleged assault.

Management is cooperating fully with and assisting police to establish the true facts for the purposes of allowing the laws of Ghana to be applied accordingly.

The said Abelenkpe branch supervisor, Mr. Jihad Chaaban, has been interrogated by police and is currently on bail pending further processes.

Meanwhile, management has become aware that the victim had immediately reported the incident to the Head of Human Resources at the Labadi branch, but this, unfortunately, had not been brought to the attention of management until police sought to arrest said supervisor.

It is understood that HR Department had attempted to resolve issues internally and that explains why said victim reported to work on Monday, February 27, 2017.

These attempts at internal resolution were then curtailed by management to allow for disciplinary proceedings as Chaaban was suspended.

Marwako in the meantime is providing the best of care and ensuring the best interest of the victim, and assures that it will not sacrifice the reputation it has built for itself over the last twelve years in Ghana as an entity that looks out for its employees who are credited for the best services it renders to its clients.

The Chief Executive Officer who is himself a Ghanaian citizen, employing over three hundred of his fellow Ghanaian citizens, is particularly saddened by the incident and commits to getting to the bottom of it.

Signed: Chief Executive Officer

Alhaji Marwan Mohammed