Crash of newly-imported train: Here are the four additional people remanded

On Monday, April 22, 2024, four more people were remanded for their involvements in the damage to one of the newly-procured, modern government trains - the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU), which collided with a parked Hyundai truck during a test run on the Tema-Mpakadan railway line, along the Asuogyaman District.

The driver of the Hyundai truck, Abel Dzidotor, has already been sentenced to a six-month jail term with hard labour after he pleaded guilty to the charges of careless and inconsiderate driving, unauthorised stopping, and causing unlawful damage.

GhanaWeb has now sighted details of who these persons are and the crimes they have been accused of.

The four more people who have been remanded for the damage to the train, according to a police post, are:

Kokou Koudjo, a 34-year-old gas wielder;

Patrick Kwaku Sosu, a 52-year-old labourer;

Alaza Prosper, a 28-year-old labourer;

Fiadugbe Emmanuel, a 31-year-old labourer.

These details are contained in a court document which indicates that the four men assisted the driver of the Hyundai truck to cause damage to the DMU.

“KOKUO KOUDJO, Age: 34 years, Gas Wielder, PATRICK KWAKU SOSU, Age: 52 years, Labourer, ALAZA PROSPER, Age: 28 years, Labourer and FIADUGBE EMMANUEL, age: 31 years, Labourer: On 18th April 2024 at Abortia near Juapong in the Volta Region and within the jurisdiction of this court, directly aided Abel Adzidotor to cause unlawful damage to a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 001 train (value to be determined,” part of the document reads.

It was stated in the document that the state had charged the four men with “Abetment of Unlawful Damage: Contrary to Section 20 (1) And 172 (2) (B) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29)”.

View the court document below:



Background:

The Ministry of Railways Development, in a press statement issued on April 18, 2024, confirmed reports that one of the modern trains had been involved in a crash.

It said that the DMU hit a stationary vehicle during the test run; adding that no person was injured.

"At approximately 12:10 pm on Thursday, 18th April 2024, while conducting the test, an incident took place around Km76+100. The DMU, upon approaching the curve at Km76+100, encountered a stationary vehicle stationed right across the rail track. Despite the immediate application of the emergency braking system, the train was unable to come to a complete stop before colliding with the vehicle," the statement said.

The ministry added, "The DMU involved has been moved to the Workshop for further assessment and necessary repairs."

Following the incident, proponents of the government and ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), including the Minister for Railway Development, John-Peter Amewu, have made allegations that the incident was orchestrated to sabotage the deployment of the train.

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