Train accident: Four accused persons granted GH¢800,000 bail

An Accra High Court has granted bail of GH¢200,000 each to four individuals arrested for their alleged involvement in a train accident at Abortia in the Volta Region. 

The court, presided over by Justice Lydia Osei Marfo, ordered the accused, Koku Koudjo, a 34-year-old gas welder; Patrick Kwaku Sosu, a 52-year-old labourer; Alaza Prosper, a 28-year-old labourer; and Fiadugbe Emmanuel, a 31-year-old labourer, to provide sureties with justifications. 

They are required to report to the police every Friday and submit copies of their Ghana cards to the court’s registry.

The court warned that failure to appear would result in bail revocation and that tardiness could lead to a bench warrant for their arrest. 

The case has been adjourned to June 6, 2024, for the prosecution to file disclosures. 

The accused have been charged with abetment of unlawful damage, allegedly aiding jailed truck driver Abel Dzidotor in causing damage to the Diesel Multiple Unit Train.

The court acknowledged that the investigation was nearly complete and that the extent of the damage could be assessed even if the defendants were released on bail. 

Assistant State Attorney Christabel Selma Anafure, leading the prosecution, stated that experts had been requested to evaluate the damage, and she sought an adjournment with the accused remaining in custody.

Defense counsel Richard Laapo highlighted a bail application for the accused, noting that the motion had not been served on the Republic. He argued that the Republic's request for an adjournment should not prevent the court from granting bail.

"The assessment of the damage has no bearing on the grant of bail," he contended.

The prosecution's case, presented by Dr. Divine Olutey, an engineer at the Ghana Railway Company Limited, explained that on April 18, 2024, the defendants were in a Hyundai Gold Truck with the license plate number GS 9018-20, driven by Dzidotor Abel, who is currently in prison. 

Investigations indicated that Koudjo purchased blocks and transported them to Abortia, opting to cross the railway line with the vehicle rather than using the underpass, despite knowing the lines were inaccessible to motor vehicles.

When unable to cross, the accused placed stones to create a makeshift path, but the truck became stuck on the tracks. 

They then tilted the truck's head and left the scene without alerting oncoming trains. 

The prosecution emphasized that there was no access route across the tracks connected to the Juapong road and that a large gutter would have prevented further passage.

On the same day, Dr. Olutey and 28 engineers conducted a test drive of a new Diesel Multiple Unit train, which collided with a stationary truck on the tracks. Both the train and truck were damaged, with the train sent to Tema for examination and the truck's remains taken to the Juapong Police Station for further action.