I only took 'Gulder' - Thomas Osei

Thomas Osei, the man who drove into the President's car on Wednesday admitted in a Police caution statement that he took two bottles of Gulder beer that morning before the accident at the Opeibea intersection.

He however, denied the charges levelled against him by the Police for using drugs.

This came up when Detective Constable Godwin Kwaku Adjei of the Organized Crime Unit, Criminal Investigation Department Headquarter was led in evidence by Edward Agyemang Doudu, Chief State Attorney at the ongoing trial of Thomas Osei in Accra.

Osei, 51, a businessman, has been charged with five counts of motor traffic offences, use of narcotic drugs and failing to change ownership of the vehicle.

The charges are dangerous driving, negligently causing harm, driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to give way to Presidential siren and the use of narcotic drugs.

The President escaped unhurt.

Osei has pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against him and is still on remand.

Detective Constable Adjei said on November 17, 2007 he was briefed by his unit commander about the search and the urine sample taken from the accused at his house by Dr. Okine Brako, a Medical Officer at the BNI Clinic and Deputy Superintendent of Police Cosmos Allan Anyan of the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters.

He said he was instructed to take written statements from DSP Anyan, Dr Brako and Osei on the search conducted at his house, the urine sample and the test at Med-Lab before an independent witness after which they all signed.

The statement was later tendered in evidence by the prosecution.

Kwame Boafo Akuffo, Counsel for Osei during cross-examination suggested that the prosecution throughout the trial failed to tell the court that Dr Brako made a written statement to the Police after the test on the accused.

"This is the first time that the statement of Dr Brako has been raise in this Court," he added.

Mr Akuffo also asked for a copy of the statement but the prosecution refused and said Mr Akuffo could make his case during the addresses.

Abraham Kwesi Tetteh, a Waiter at the Landing Restaurant of the Kotoka International Airport also told the court that the accused was a regular customer and he was the one who served him that day.

He said on the day of the accident, the accused came to the restaurant that morning with a lady to have breakfast.

He said the accused ordered for three bottles of Guilder beer, one Smirnoff Ice drink, rice and chicken, which was keyed into the computer for them to be served.

He said the following day he was at the restaurant when two BNI officers came to inquire from him what the accused came to eat the previous morning.

The prosecution at that juncture tendered in evidence a copy of the orders and bills of the accused from restaurant to the court.

Answering questions under cross-examination from Mr Akuffo, the witness said the computer printout and the hand written bills of the accused would be same.

Asked whether the three Gulder beers bought were drank by the accused alone, the witness said he would not know because after serving them he left.

Sergeant Christian Koda of the Central Motor Transport Traffic Unit who also testified in the case said he had instructions from his boss at 12.50 pm to proceed to the Opeibea intersection to invest an accident involving the President.

He said when he got to the scene some spots had been marked with red paint by Constable Seth Frimpong, the Policeman who directs traffic at the intersection.

He said after the accident the accused"s car had to be pushed away to make way for other road users.

He said after his initial investigations he left for the 37 Military Hospital where he saw the accused and continued to the Airport Police station where he met Pastor Joe Osei Kufour, owner of the Golf car and Sarfo Addo, the President’s driver.

He said later, he moved to the accident scene with the owner of the Golf car and the President’s driver but left the accused because he was still on admission at the 37 Hospital.

He said he marked the point of impact at the scene after which statements were taken from the two.

He said on November 27, 2007 all the three drivers were taken to the accident scene; the accused marked a different point of impact but agreed to the sketch and appended his signature to the document.

Case was adjourned to April 18.