Accident in front of Rawlings' Residence

Accra, June 20, GNA - An articulated truck carrying 1,000 bags of cement for the construction of the Headquarters of the Department of Water Resources, adjacent to the Ridge Hospital, was involved in an accident in front of the residence of Former President Jerry John Rawlings on Tuesday night.

Mr Dan Mensah, a Security Officer at the residence, told the GNA that he heard a loud blast at about 2200 hours on Tuesday and rushed out of the house to see what was happening.

He said he saw Mr Attah Kwadwo, driver of the articulated truck number BA 344 U, trying to make a u-turn in front of the house but two of the tyres got burst while another pair got stuck in a gutter. Mr Mensah said the Policemen on duty at the residence asked Mr Attah Kwadwo to come down but he refused. He said when the Policemen eventually got him to get down they discovered that he was drunk, adding that the Driver laid down on road and started begging.

Mr Attah Kwadwo told the GNA that he was 47 years old and had been driving for the past 25 years. He said he loaded the cement from the Ghana Cement Company Factory at Tema at about 1400 hours on Tuesday. He said when he got to the construction site he discovered that he could not enter the yard from that point so he decided to go and turn and asked for direction. He said when he got to the front of the Former President's residence he thought he could turn.

When GNA asked him whether he was drunk as alleged by Mr Mensah, he responded: "Na maka ma no kakra" to wit "I had taken something small." Mr Attah Kwadwo said he tried and got the truck out of the gutter but the gear system became disengaged, adding that in an attempt to jack up the cabin to fix it the piece of wood he was using slipped off and hit his forehead, thus injuring him.

Mr Kevin Zhong, a Chinese Purchasing Officer of Top International, the construction company, told the GNA that he ordered the cement from GHACEM through an agent.

At the time of the GNA visit Mr Zhong had arranged for two smaller trucks to cart the cement to the project site and the Police had arrived to tow the truck away.