PhD Student in Switzerland Recounts How He Was Mistaken for a Criminal
- A Ghanaian PhD candidate at ETH Zürich in Switzerland was recently mistaken for a criminal because of his complexion
- According to the gentleman named George Jojo Boateng, he was stopped in the middle of the road and searched thoroughly like he was a threat
- Many social media users have been sympathizing with Jojo for having gone through that experience
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George Jojo Boateng, a PhD student in Zürich, Switzerland has recounted an incident that happened to him which has left many social media users heartbroken.
Narrating the story via his Facebook and LinkedIn handles, Jojo Boateng who studies at ETH Zürich, a public research university said he was in Geneva at the time when two police officers suddenly besieged him.
"While walking on a sidewalk in Geneva, minding my own business, I noticed 2 police officers rushing towards me from the other side of the street," he started.
Source: UGC
According to Jojo, immediately he spotted the officers coming his way, he felt as though he would become the next 'justice 4' hashtag on social media.
Jojo's bag was snatched from him and he was searched thoroughly to ensure he carried no harmful substances or weapons, and then he was warned to be careful.
However, Jojo indicated that a gentleman who was White passed right by himself and the police officers but did not get a similar treatment as he did because of his race.
Read the full account below:
If that place isn’t safe and I’m being interrogated, rather than being protected, I guess they saw me as a potential criminal that had to be stopped," he concluded.
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What peeps are saying
Terry Asiedu said:
So sorry this happened to you brother. Stay strong
Laura Sim indicated:
So sorry this happened to you, George. How awful. You’re doing amazing work and you’re an even more amazing person. Sad that they couldn’t see that.
Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa bags PhD at 75
Previously, Briefly News reported that Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, His Excellency George Ayisi Boateng, has succeeded in getting his PhD at the age of 75 after he bagged a Bachelor's degree at 64 and got his MBA at age 67.
The deputy online editor for Graphic, Enoch Darfah Frimpong, who recounted the inspirational story, also indicated Dr Boateng obtained his PhD from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa.
According to graphic.com.gh, the "self-made personality" commonly referred to as "Onipa Nua" had struggled through life to make it because his father died when he was in primary three and had to be raised up by a single mother.
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Source: Briefly News
Kelly Lippke (Senior Editor) Kelly Lippke is a copy editor/proofreader who started her career at the Northern-Natal Courier with a BA in Communication Science/Psychology (Unisa, 2007). Kelly has worked for several Caxton publications, including the Highway Mail and Northglen News. Kelly’s unique editing perspective stems from an additional major in Linguistics. Kelly joined Briefly News in 2018 and she has 14 years of experience. Kelly has also passed a set of trainings by Google News Initiative. You can reach her at kelly.lippke@briefly.co.za.
Reeshni Chetty Reeshni Chetty is a senior current affairs reporter. The Damelin journalism and media studies graduate was top of her class with 16 distinctions and she boasts experience in radio, print and digital media. When Reeshni is not rushing to bring you the most important and breaking news in current affairs, she's raising awareness around mental health. Reeshni has a passion for breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
