Investigator: I did not go to crime scene with complainant

Accra, June 12, GNA - The investigator in the case involving six policemen and five others charged for robbing a Ghanaian businessman of 53,000 dollars and other personal belongings at a Dzorwulu Hotel in Accra said on Friday that he did not go with the complainant to the crime scene when he was carrying out his investigations.

Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) of Police Aggrey Baforgo told a circuit court in Accra hearing the case that by Police procedures an officer may choose to go with a complainant to a crime scene to assist him perform his investigations but not the accused person. DCI Baforgo was responding to questions posed by Mr Kwame Nyanpong Tetteh, Counsel for Sergeant John Adjapong, one of the accused persons, during cross examination at the trial. The investigator also confirmed that the docket on the case and the caution statement of the complainant were handed over to him on February 18, 2009 but not the exhibits.

When Mr Tetteh asked whether there were other entrances to the block where room 108 was located apart from the main reception, DCI Baforgo said there was only one entrance that led to room 108. The accused persons are Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Kwapong, Chief Inspector Thomas Adu, Sergeant John Adjapong, Corporal Lawrence Dennis Quansah, Lance Corporal (L/C) Karim Muntari and Constable Benjamin Blejumah. The rest were Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi aka Kwame Tawiah and Bismark Ampofo. They were being held on charges of conspiracy and apart from DSP Kwapong, the rest were facing additional charge of robbery.

They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. The facts are that Amanor has been known to the complainant, Mr Kwaku Duah when they were both in Switzerland. Sometime last year, Mr Duah told Amanor that he wanted to come to buy gold and he (Amanor) assured the complainant of assisting him to purchase the gold. Consequently, Mr Duah arrived in Ghana on February 1, this year, and checked in at Relax Court Hotel at Dzorwulu in Accra and got in touch with Amanor who in turn informed him about the people they were going to buy gold from. On February 2, at about 10:00 pm, Amanor and Jeffery, now at large, who was then armed with a pistol, Gyasi, and a Nigerian also now at large, went to the Hotel room of Mr Duah under the pretext of transacting the gold business. The said business was to take place between the complainant and Jeffery.

Before the meeting, Jeffery and the Nigerian had arranged with Amanor, who had also instructed Chief Inspector Adu, Sgt Adjapong, Corporal Quansah and a soldier, who is at large, to go to the hotel. When they got there they met Lance Corporal Muntari, Constable Acheampong and Constable Blejuamah. They broke into Mr Duah's room and Jeffery pulled a pistol and beat the complainant until he bled from his nose. They searched Mr Duah, and took two envelopes containing 53,000 dollars, 800 Euros, GH¢2,000 from his pocket.

They ransacked Mr Duah's room and took away a black bag containing two walkman CD players, a digital camera valued at 4,000 dollars; two bunches of keys and a Standard Chartered Bank cheque book. The accused persons arrested the complainant and later abandoned him at Tema. Mr Duah reported the matter to the Police and accused persons were arrested.