Mintah ordered me to fire -witness

A PROSECUTION witness, Constable Joseph Agbenyega of the Police Striking Force yesterday told an Accra High Court that Nana Koranteng Mintah ordered him to fire into the air during the May 9, 2001 disaster at the Accra Sports Stadium.

He said he fired three of the five rubber bullets into the air as directed by Nana Koranteng when spectators started destroying plastic seats at the May 9 Stand of the stadium, minutes before the final whistle of the match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.

Six police officers who were indicted by the Okudzeto Commission that inquired into the Accra Sports Stadium tragedy are being tried on 127 counts of manslaughter.

They are on a ?20 million bail each with two sureties. They are John Naami, Faakye Kumi, Frank Awuah, Frank Aryee, B. B. Bakomora, all Assistant Superintendents of Police, and Mintah, a Chief Superintendent.

Led in evidence by Mr Anthony Gyambiby, a Principal State Attorney, Constable Agbenyega said he heard Naami also issuing instructions.

He told the court presided over by Mr Justice Yaw Appau that Naami first raised his hands and then ordered them to stop firing.

Constable Agbenyega said he and his colleagues were briefed by Inspector Ampomah, officer in-charge at the stadium on their duties, which involved escorting match officials and players in and out of the field and the patrol of the inner and outer perimeters of the stadium.

He said five minutes to the end of the match, his colleagues started converging on the entrance of the stadium, to escort the officials and players off the field. He said just before the final whistle, the spectators at the May 9 Stand started destroying the plastic seats and throwing water onto the pitch.

Constable Agbenyega said he and his colleagues directed the spectators to stop but they refused.

He said Mintah came to them to find out whether they had not seen the spectators destroying the seats and then “ordered that we fire above the crowd.

“I fired three times, all on his command and above the crowd as he directed. I did not fire at anyone,” he said. He also said that although Mintah gave him the order to shoot, he asked him to shoot into the air, which he did, stressing that “he did not ask me to shoot to kill”.

He said after his third shot, he saw the spectators running helter-skelter and struggling to get out through the entrance.

Constable Agbenyega said apart from Naami, who ordered that they should stop firing, he did not hear any command again.

During cross-examination, he told Mr Yonni Kulendi, counsel for Naami, that it was Naami who gave the instructions that they should stop firing.

He said at the stadium, Inspector Ampomah was the in-charge, but said after his initial instructions, he did not see him again.

The case has been adjourned to Wednesday, March 26, 2003. The defence team is made up of Messrs Owusu Fordjour, William Ofori Boafo, Yonni Kulendi and Atta Akyea, all Accra legal practitioners