Witness in Amina rape trial says NPP bribed him to lie

Accra, Feb. 25, GNA - A fourth prosecution witness in the trial of an alleged mass bus rape, on Friday told an Accra Circuit Court that officials of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) influenced him with money to confirm the case.

He claimed that the money was meant to save Adom Fm that broke the news and Amina Mohammed, the accused person.

Michael Ofosu Frimpong, a trader said he met with Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, Yaw Osafo Marfo, Kennedy Agyepong at the NPP headquarters who offered him Gh¢90,000 as a reward but he declined the offer.

Mr Frimpong said he went to Adom FM, a local radio station to refute the case of mass rape but when he got there he met Adakabre the presenter and Agyepong who played a recorded voice of Amina, the lady at the centre o= f the case.

He alleged that Adakabre asked him to add a little information to make Amina's story believable.

"I was motivated by one Mr Tamakloe, Director of Adom FM that anytim= e I will come to give evidence in the case he will fly me by Antrak Air. Mr Andy Appiah-Kubi counsel for Amina, expressed surprise at what the witness was throwing at the public, saying it witness was most untruthful. In a cross examination Ofosu Frimpong could not recollect when he visited the FM station.

He also denied that he was a regular panellist at the radio station. Can you tell the court what you said on Adom Fm station? Ask Mr Appiah-Kubi.

Frimpong answered: "I said that it was true that men slept with women. "I am suggesting it to you that you are not being truthful to this honourable court," Mr Appiah-Kubi said.

My lord, I am telling the truth, I was given Gh¢90,000.00 to testify= in the case said Mr Frimpong.

At this juncture, Professor Agyemang-Attafuah, a lead counsel for Amin= a retorted: 93I was just shocked by that=85 I have been a human rights lawye= r and I have heard horrible cases, in fact I am embarrassed."

But the court, presided over by Mrs Patience Mills-Tetteh, asked Prof Attafuah not to be too emotional.

Led in evidence by prosecution Paul Asibi Abariga, a Senior State Attorney, Mr Frimpong said he went to Tamale to sell and on his way back an O.A Bus, he boarded stopped at Kintampo.

He said he over heard the driver of a Yutong bus in a conversation wit= h the driver of his vehicle that they were nearly attacked by armed robbers a= t Kubeasi near Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.

He said he went on to Adom FM where Prof Attafuah and Mr Kubi told him "if I could help Amina and Adom FM, they will reward me but I did not agr= ee=85 I want to sleep on the matter and thought about it". He said he was taken to Asylum Down-based NPP Headquarters, where he met Mr Obestebi-Lamptey, Osafo Marfo, Agyepong and other important personalities of the party. He said: 93Mr Obestebi-Lamptey showed me the money and I become scare= d." He said they told him that the ruling government had promised the nation that they would work hard to reduce rape and armed robbery but these were still happening.

I informed my church leader about the offer and he advised me to decline it.

He said Mr Appiah-Kubi took him to Multi TV studio in Accra and left him there till 1900 hours where he was blindfolded and filmed. I was introduced to Amina for the first time at the Nima Police Statio= n where I met Prof Attafuah.

Counsel: In the last three weeks have you visited the psychiatric hospital?

Witness: Yes!

Counsel: What necessitated it?

Witness: A judge in circuit court one, ordered me to go to the Psychiatric Hospital.

Counsel: Who was your counsel on the day?

Witness: My Lord Lawyer Appiah Kubi.

Counsel: I'm therefore suggesting it you that you are most untruthful?

Witness: I'm speaking the truth.

Counsel: Are still in custody?

Witness: Yes my lord.

Counsel: There was a note that you wrote to be given to your lawyer?

Witness: I wrote that it should be given to CID to be given to my wife and not through my lawyer.

Counsel: Could you tell the court the content of the note?

Witness: My wife is pregnant and I wrote that she may not see me again. She should not terminate the pregnancy and should name the child after my mother.

When one is born a male child he goes through problems and death. Counsel did you complain about torture in the cell? Witness: My lord I don't know.

The facts of the case are that Amina lives at Ashaiman, near Tema, and on October 11, last year, together with her mother they boarded an Accra-Bolgatanga bound bus to attend a funeral.

The accused alleged that during the journey, the passengers were attacked by armed robbers at Kubease near the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority barrier, during which the robbers compelled men on the bus to have sex with the women.

A man who was travelling with his 14-year-old daughter was forced to defile her.

The prosecutor said the allegation was reported in the media thereby causing fear and panic.

It said when the driver of the bus was contacted; he told the police that at about 2200 hours he saw a road block mounted by the armed robbers but drove through it and lodged a complaint at the Ejisu Police Station and continued to his destination.

The prosecutor said Police investigations confirmed that there was an attempted robbery at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region, but there was no mass rap= e as alleged by the accused.

The case was adjourned to March 18.