John Paintsil
SHOCKING NEWS trickling in at press time yesterday indicated that Black Stars defender, John Paintsil had been grabbed by the Legon Police for allegedly stabbing his wife, Richlove Paintsil, in the eye, on allegation of stealing.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that the Legon Police were holding him for “assault and causing harm” to his wife.
Paintsil was recently in the news for engaging the services of prostitutes in South Africa during the AFCON 2013 tournament.
According to an eyewitness living around his Trasacco Valley residence at East Legon in Accra, John Paintsil physically assaulted his wife after a misunderstanding over an amount of $20,000.
Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Freeman Tettey confirmed that the embattled footballer was behind bars at the Legon Police Station, after writing a statement.
According to DSP Tettey, after initial interrogations, it was established that the footballer had stabbed his wife.
According to an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, “I was at home when I heard some noise. I went to investigate and saw John Paintsil and his wife exchanging words. John alleged that his wife had stolen $20,000 from him. He started beating her mercilessly till she started bleeding. His wife then ran to the next house but Paintsil scaled the wall and went after her and kept beating her.
“The landlord had to come out and slap him [Paintsil] after some exchange of words. He left the place with his children.
The police then arrived. She (Richlove Painstil) collapsed and it was John Mensah’s wife who took her to the hospital.”
A freelance journalist, Haruna Maiga, who was at the Legon Police Station where John Paintsil was being held, said the deputy Black Stars skipper was brought together with his three kids.
They were escorted by a group of policemen, one armed.
DSP Tettey said Paintsil was being held for assault and causing harm.
“We can confirm that John Paintsil is in police custody, specifically the Legon Police. Apparently, the woman was stabbed by this gentleman,” DSP Tetteh told Joy FM yesterday evening, shortly after the incident.
According to him, the physical assault by John Painstil forced his wife to scale the wall of the footballer’s plush residence in the Trasacco Valley Estate.
But according to the police, the fight was so serious that when Richlove scaled the wall to seek refuge in a neighbour’s house, John Paintsil did same in hot pursuit of his wife.
When he got to the neighbour’s house, attempts by the neighbour to shield the terrified Richlove Paintsil earned him a deafening slap from the clearly enraged footballer.
“When John Painstil pursued the wife to the place [neighbour’s house], he met this gentleman who was actually shielding the wife, he gave the gentleman a slap. As a result of that, the gentleman rushed quickly to the lodge a report,” the police PRO narrated the bizarre incident.
DAILY GUIDE gathered that Mr. Paintsil’s wife actually collapsed as a result of the attack. She was said to be currently receiving treatment in the hospital.
Paintsil In Hot Waters
It appeared that 32-year-old John Painstil from Berekum in the Brong Ahafo Region would be sleeping in police cells throughout the weekend because “it will be too early for us to grant him bail because this a serious issue that the police are working on. They have to process him, they have to take the necessary statement, take a witness statement as well before we take a decision as to whether to bail him or not”, the Police PRO stated.
“For now it is too early for us to decide his fate. It is important that he is kept there for us to work on him.”
The current state of his wife was unknown, but there were indications that she was responding to treatment. “We believe that she may be responding to treatment,” DSP Tettey stated.
Wife In U-Turn
But in a dramatic twist, Richlove told Joy FM it was only a domestic quarrel, dismissing the police account of the incident, apparently in a desperate move to shield her husband from eager media headlines.
She would not go into details on what happened, except to warn the interviewer to respect her rights to privacy.
“Don’t publish anything, don’t say anything. It is nothing, I am begging you, you should respect me and respect my marriage,” she pleaded with the radio station.
South Africa Blues
This latest development marked the second time in a week that the deputy Black Stars skipper had been in the news for the wrong reasons.
A few days ago, Paintsil was forced to rebut allegations by serial caller Appiah Stadium that he had slept with and procured prostitutes for other Black Stars players during the AFCON 2013 tournament in
South Africa.
The incident allegedly took place at the team’s Garden Court Hotel in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, which Appiah Stadium said, contributed to the team’s failure in the tournament.
“Women were moving to and from the team’s hotel. Paintsil had tired legs and instead of focusing on his career and advising the junior ones, he and other senior members were seen chasing women all over,” Appiah said on Happy FM, an Accra-based radio station.
But Paintsil rebutted the allegation a few days ago, saying it was a calculated attempt to drag his name into the mud, and that he would seek redress at the appropriate quarters, possibly the law courts, when the need arose.
“I have nothing against Appiah Stadium. I am surprised he is injuring my hard earned reputation. He once approached me for financial assistance and I believe because he didn’t get what he needed, that is why he is painting me black,” said Paintsil.
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