Bruce-Quansah's counsel to file submission of no case

Accra, Jan. 9, GNA - Counsel for Jojo Bruce-Quansah, Managing Editor of "Ghana Palaver", who is standing trial on a charge of a deceit of a public officer, on Monday declared his intention to file a submission of no case after the Prosecution closed its case. Nana Agyei Ampofo, after cross-examining Detective Inspector Charles Adaba declared to the court: "My Lord, we wish to make a submission of no case. We are, therefore, seeking an adjournment in that respect."

The Court presided over Mr Samuel Kwame Asiedu obliged and adjourned the matter to January 19.

Testifying in court, Mr Adaba, the investigator, admitted he knew Mr Bruce-Quansah in Accra.

Mr Adaba, who was led by Prosecuting Chief Superintendent of Police Mr K. K. Amoah, said on November 8, 2005, his superiors referred "a case of a missing person" to him to investigate. He said this followed a complaint made by Mr Kwamena Ahwoi, Lecturer of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), that Mr Bruce-Quansah was missing.

According to the investigator, Mr Ahwoi said he received a call from one Christie that she had seen Mr Bruce-Quansah being attacked by eight men and his clothes were soaked with blood. "Mr Ahwoi said Jojo gave his (Mr Ahwoi's) telephone number to Christie to call him to inform him about his attack and the said Christie was calling from a communication centre at Abofu, near Achimota, with telephone number 021-859966." The investigator said after several attempts to reach Christie had failed, he wrote a letter to the Ghana Telecom Company to trace the telephone number of Christie (O21-859966) but was informed that the line was that of a pay phone booth at Weija. He said the two phone numbers of Mr Bruce-Quansah could not also be reached.

On November 9, 2005, at about 0500, Detective Inspector Adaba said Mr Ahwoi called him stating that Mr Bruce-Quansah had called him at about 0200 hours indicating that he was alive. The investigator said Mr Ahwoi further said that Mr Bruce-Quansah informed him that he should meet him at 0700 hours near the Tema Motorway Toll Booth.

Mr Adaba said Mr Bruce-Quansah did not show up so they left at 0830 hours.

At about 1230 hours on the same day Mr Ahwoi called again and informed him that Mr Bruce-Quansah had agreed to meet them at the same spot.

The investigator said Mr Bruce-Quansah was already seated in Mr Ahwoi's car when he got to the spot, so they drove to the Police Headquarters in Accra.

"At the Police Headquarters, Jojo took off his shirt. I examined him, but found no physical marks on him so I asked that a photograph be taken."

Mr Adaba said he took Mr Bruce-Quansah to the Police Hospital, where Dr Samuel Otu Nyarko, a Specialist, examined him and disclosed that he found no physical mark. However, Dr Nyarko prescribed some anti-pain drugs for Mr Bruce-Quansah.

Detective Inspector Adaba said Mr Bruce-Quansah was escorted to his house at Amanfrom where his two gates were locked.

Mr Adaba said when he managed to get into the living room, he found no water on the floor barely 24 hours after the incident adding, "various pictures taken did not show any sign of disturbance". He said when he enquired from Mr Bruce-Quansah, who Christie was, he denied having a relation known by that name. He also declined to tell the Police the doctor friend with whom he had sought refuge. But on November 27, the investigator said, Mr Bruce-Quansah disclosed to the Police that he was at St Florence Clinic at Ashaiman and that Dr Paul Mensah Folly examined him.

Detective Inspector Adaba said Dr Folly failed to provide the Police with records on Mr Bruce-Quansah saying he treated him as a family friend at his residence and that if the Police needed any records, they should write to him.

According to him, the Police obliged but Dr Folly did not respond. Answering question under cross-examination, Mr Adaba said Mr Bruce-Quansah did not say anything about his clothes being soaked with blood but that it was Mr Ahwoi, who informed him about the "blood stain" on Mr Bruce-Quansah's shirt.

When asked about the medical prescription, he said Mr Bruce-Quansah did not give him his prescription although he had asked him to submit them to him.

Detective Inspector Adaba maintained that Jojo was not beaten. The case for the Prosecution is that on November 8, 2005, Mr Bruce-Quansah, alleged that eight men in masks attacked him and inflicted bodily injuries on him at his Amanfrom residence near Kasoa. The Prosecution stated that Mr Bruce-Quansah told a Lady he met in a taxicab to relay to Mr Ahwoi that his life was in danger. The Prosecution said upon receiving the message, Mr Ahwoi lodged a complaint with the Police that Mr Bruce-Quansah was missing. The Prosecution said the Police immediately started investigations into the matter, but on the second day of investigations, he appeared at the CID Headquarters.

The Prosecution said a medical report from the Police Hospital confirmed that Mr Bruce-Quansah was not attacked as he allegedly claimed.

According to the Prosecution, since the action contravened the law, he was consequently charged with a deceit of a public officer.