Minister calls for prosecution of public officials

Kpong (E/R), April 17, GNA - Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, the Eastern Regional Minister, has directed officials of the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) to take legal action against drivers who carry weights above the acceptable tonnage across the Adomi Bridge. He has also appealed to the GHA and the Ghana Police Service Administration to investigate the conduct of their personnel who were on duty at the Adomi Bridge on the night of April 15 to the dawn of the following day and allowed overweight vehicles to cross the bridge. The minister said appropriate sanctions should be taken against any official found to have misconducted himself.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said this when he inspected two loaded articulator trucks, one weighing 51 tons and the other 50 tons, which were arrested at Kpong after they had crossed the bridge on April 16. He expressed regret that state officials detailed to protect national assets like the Adom Bridge rather turned round to connive with others to break the law to destroy property that they were supposed to protect.

Mr Ofosu-Ampofo went to the area after he had been informed that an official of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) who tried to prevent overweight vehicles from crossing the bridge had his VW Golf three salon car with registration number GR 2894 T destroyed when one of the cargo truck drivers intentionally crushed his truck into the vehicle last Wednesday night. Patrick Jiagre, the driver of the cargo truck with registration number GT 3126 H weighing 49.8 tons, has been arrested by the Atimpoku Police and placed in custody. The maximum weight of vehicles allowed to cross the bridge is 30 tons.