Police refute claims of assault

Accra, June 29, GNA - Chief Inspector Thomas Adu, one of the six policemen and five others, charged for robbing a Ghanaian businessman of 53,000 dollars and other personal effects at a Dzorwulu Hotel, on Monday denied claims by the complainant, Mr Kweku Duah that he was assaulted by the police until he bled.

He said he was ordered by his superior, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Kwapong, to cause the arrest of the complainant for dealing in illegal substance and that was what he did. Chief Inspector Adu was continuing with his defence during cross-examination by Ms Cynthia Lamptey, Chief State Attorney at the ongoing trial at an Accra Circuit Court.

He also refuted claims by the complainant that while they were taking Mr Duah to the Police Depot, a soldier who was in the vehicle took his phone while a policeman also took 3,000 dollars and some Euros from him.

Chief Inspector Adu said he only carried out the orders of his superior officer and sent the complainant to DSP Kwapong. He said when Mr Duah appeared before DSP Kwapong, he never made any such allegation against the police and he was surprised to hear the complainant later accuse the police of taking his money. Chief Inspector Adu together with DSP Patrick Kwapong, Sergeant John Adjapong, Corporal Lawrence Dennis Quansah, Lance Corporal Karim Muntari and Constable Benjamin Blejumah are being held on charges of conspiracy. The rest are who are facing the same charges are Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi aka Kwame Tawiah and Bismark Ampofo. Apart from DSP Kwapong, the rest are facing additional charge of robbery.

They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. The facts are that Aams Amanor had been known to Mr Duah when they were both in Switzerland. Sometime last year, Mr Duah told Amanor he wanted to come to Ghana to buy gold and he assured Mr Duah of his assistance 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 that they were going to buy gold from. On February 2 at about 20 hours Amanor and Jeffery, now at large, who was then armed with a pistol, Gyasi, and a Nigerian now at large, went to the hotel room of Mr Duah under the pretext of transacting 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. Jeffery then pulled a pistol and beat the complainant until he bled from his nose. They further searched Mr Duah, and took two envelopes containing 53,000 dollars, 800 Euros, GH¢2,000 from his pocket. Not satisfied, 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 the accused persons were arrested.