A case involving a soldier who, the police say, stole a duck, beat the owner and a policeman and later got killed at Krabo in the Suhum District is to be transferred from the Koforidua Community Tribunal to the High Court.
An advice to that effect was sent from the Attorney-General’s Department to Koforidua recently and tribunal officials say they are busily preparing to submit dockets and other documents on it to the Koforidua High Court.
Meanwhile, the man, suspected to have killed the soldier, Kwame Bafo, is on ball, while the body of the deceased soldier has long been buried.
Dateline was October 4, 1998.
According to the prosecuting police officer, Chief Inspector J.K. Dumoh, the soldier, trooper Nii Addy Acheampong - No 199047, then with the Recca Squadron at Burma Camp, went to the small town of Krabo which is near Coaltar.
On entering the compound of Kwame Bafo, Addy reportedly caught a duck, causing a heated argument between himself and Bafo.
The soldier beat up Bafo, who reported the case at the Coaltar Police Station.
When invited to the station, Nii is reported to have beaten Bafo right under the noses of the police.
According to the police prosecutor, one Afriyie Darko, who accompanied Bafo to the station, got provoked and slapped the soldier, instantly causing blood to gush out of his nostrils.
Feeling over-powered, Nii Addy pulled a knife and pistol, threatening to kill Afriyie Darko, but the police disarmed him.
Chief Inspector J. K. Dumoh further said after the Coaltar police had asked Bafo and Darko to leave for the soldier to be interrogated, he (Nii) “broke loose, beating No 18776 E. A. Tetteh of the station, still threatening with a pistol.
” Next the soldier left the Coaltar police station to the compound of Kwame Bafo once again. “
After cutting of electricity in the suspect’s house, Nii Addy started kicking the duckings in the house. Kwame Bafo shot him when he saw Nii advancing with a pistol.
He fell and was rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where he died on October 6, 1998, the prosecutor’s report said.
