Posted by 9jabook.com on November 5, 2009 at 8:13pm
NEARLY a month after he beat a Nigerian into a state of coma, it was yesterday confirmed that the culprit, a German construction company expatriate has been shipped out of the country following the insistence of Senators that he be prosecuted for the attack within the precincts of the Senate Building .
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But a middle ground was reached following a letter of apology from the management of the company to the Senate leadership for the misdemeanor of the 52-year old German, Rainhardt Fleischer, who had gained notoriety for attacking junior workers of his company whenever they ran foul of him.
A report written by the police was said to have indicted him, and pushed for his prosecution for what was described as "serial violence".
A Senate source said yesterday that the German's international passport was returned to him, after which the police ensured that he was "monitored to the airport" and flown out.
"It was not clear if the police did this secretly but they made sure he left the country," the source said.
Also, the worker who slipped into coma was said to have fully recovered.
"We made sure that he was returned to his post in the National Assembly, and we are watching to see if they will victimise him because we know if a Nigerian had done what he did, it would have been a different thing, he is so lucky he got off so lightly because the Senate President wanted the full length of the law applied in his case," the source added.
Last October, it was a regular working morning for John Adeniyi in the Senate Building of the National Assembly, but by evening, he was lying in coma in a hospital in Abuja because he received a kick in his groin from Fleischer.
Fleisher spent that night at the Police post of the National Assembly as the Senate Leadership waded in asking for a report on the attack by the expatriate of a German-based construction company, which built the Senate Building and is maintaining the structure.
The Police insisted getting the passport before the German could be released.
It began, according to witnesses at the Senate Building, as a routine check by the German supervisor. He saw John Adeniyi standing and sought to know from him why he was not doing anything. As John wanted to explain, the German demanded for his identity card.
Adeniyi declined. Fleishcher allegedly pulled out his camera to take the photograph of the technician, but the local worker resisted the move. In a flash, the German's foot flew into the air and hit Adeniyi who collapsed and hit the ground convulsing.
The Nigerians rushed to take on the expatriate until security men and policemen in the National Assembly moved in and prevented the infuriated legislative workers and the giant German construction company.
The German was slammed into detention while the local worker was rushed to the Julius Berger clinic, according to eyewitnesses in a state of coma.
"We understand that this is the second time this particular German was attacking Nigerian staff under his watch and were shocked that two weeks ago he allegedly did the same thing. The Senate Leadership has asked for a report and we may not release until tomorrow (today)," a police source said in Abuja last October.
It was gathered that the frantic efforts being made by the officials of the construction company to get the expatriate released that day was considered "nauseating" by the management of the National Assembly which was insisting that "whoever is responsible for this kind of attack in the country's National Assembly should be made to face the full brunt of the law."
The management was said not to be impressed by the position of the company's staff that the expatriate had a history of high blood pressure, and had in fact fainted when he was thrown behind bars in the Assembly Police Post.
"I am shocked that Nigerians are the ones coming to talk to us to have someone who attacked a Nigerian in the country's National Assembly to be released. They are telling us how the MD (managing Director) sent them, and telling us such annoying things, but unknown to them, the Senators who have heard about it are furious and are putting pressure on the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms and the police to ensure that due process is followed," a source said then.
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