Businessman testifies against policemen

Accra, May 14, GNA - Kwaku Duah, the businessman, who was allegedly robbed by six police officers and other five persons of his belongings and money in a hotel at Dworwulu in Accra, on Monday told an Accra Circuit Court that the police came to his hotel room to attack and kidnap him.

Mr. Duah denied that he was dealing in gold transaction and that the transaction was prohibited under the laws of Ghana. Mr Duah said this when lawyers of the accused persons took turns to cross examine him in the case in which six police officers and five others are being held for robbery.

The accused are Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Kwapong, Chief Inspector Thomas Adu, Sergeant John Adjapong, Corporal Lawrence Dennis Quansah, Lance Corporal Karim Muntari and Constable Benjamin Blejumah. The rest are Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi aka Kwame Tawiah and Bismark Ampofo.

Apart from DSP Kwapong, who is being held for robbery, the rest are facing charges of robbery and conspiracy. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been remanded into custody. Mr Duah disagreed with Mr Ellis Owusu-Fordjour, counsel for DSP Kwapong that he (Mr Duah) pleaded with his client to look for the suspects who took away his money at the hotel. He further denied that DSP Kwapong took steps to get those who promised him (Mr Duah) to sell to him gold.

Answering further questions administered by Mr Kwame Nyankon Tetteh, counsel for C/I Thomas Adu, Mr Duah told the court that he narrowly escaped through his bedroom window.

According to him he was in a blue pair of jeans and shirt and he had in his pocket his passport, two bank cards, air tickets, three mobile phones and some foreign currencies.

Witness disagreed with counsel that because he was wearing tight jeans there was no way he could have put two separate envelopes stuffed with monies and other belonging into his pocket.

When he was asked whether his clothes were damaged when he was arrested by the Police, he said they were stained with blood. He maintained that C/I Adu took his money that is 25,000 dollars from his right pocket, adding, the money was in 100 hundred dollar denominations.

Mr Duah disagreed with counsel that C/I Adu never handcuffed him because he (C/I) did not have any handcuff.

He maintained that while he was being escorted to the Tesano Police Depot, C/Adu made a call assuring the caller that they were going to enjoy themselves and that he had money in his possession.

Mr Duah debunked counsel's assertion that he categorically told ACP Bright Oduro, deputy Regional Police Commander that two occupants of the vehicle that transported them to Tesano took away the money. Answering questions by Mr Charles Pulzo, counsel for Sergeant John Adjapong, Mr Duah told the court that before the incident, he had on him 53,000 dollars 800 Euros and 2,000 Ghana cedis.

When it got to the turn of Mr Shabib Mohammed, who represented Lance Corporal (L/C) Marim Muntari, Mr Duah said he was surprised that, Muntari who came to rob him at the hotel asked whether he knew some influential person who could help him out. Mr Duah denied that the L/C was among those who escorted him to DSP Kwapong's office. Question: Muntari did come to the hotel to rob you? Answer: I saw him there. Question: Muntari came to effect your arrest because of the activities you were engaged in? Answer: It is not true The facts are that Aams Amanor had been known to Mr Duah when they were in Switzerland.

Sometime last year, Mr Duah told Amanor he wanted to come to Ghana to buy gold and Amanor opted to assist him. Mr Duah arrived in Ghana on February 1 and checked into Relax Court Hotel at Dworwulu and got in touch with Amanor who briefed him about the supposed suppliers of the gold.

On February 2 at about 2200 hours, Amanor and Jeffery, now at large, who was armed with a pistol, accompanied by Gyasi, and a Nigerian now at large, went to the hotel room of Mr Duah under the pretext of transacting the 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, Sergeant Adjapong, Corporal Quansah and the soldier, who is at large, to go to the hotel. When they got to the hotel, they met Lance Corporal Muntari, Constable Acheampong and Constable Blejuamah.

They broke into Mr Duah's room and Jeffery pulled out a pistol on Mr Duah who they beat until he started bleeding from the nose. The attackers later searched Mr Duah and took away two envelopes containing 53,000 dollars, 800 Euros and GH¢2,000.

They also 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. Hearing continues on May 15.