Koforidua, May 21, GNA- Two soldiers and a police man were on Tuesday brought before a high court in Koforidua for allegedly murdering the George MacLean Atuah, a driver, near Ayekotse, a suburb of Suhum in the Eastern Region, last year.
Police Detective Lance Corporal Felix Dagadu, Corporal Ibrahim Bukari and Staff Sergeant Robert Adama, both of the Ghana Army pleaded not guilty to the charge.
General Constable David Darko, also implicated in the murder was on the run. Mr Anthony Gyambiby, a Chief State Attorney, told the court presided over by Mr Justice Francis Miezah Anyimiah, Atuah died out of severe brutalities by the accused persons while driving to Suhum from Mangoase. Prosecution said the security personnel, who were on patrol in the region accused the deceased of careless driving when he attempted to overtake a taxi cab ahead of the patrol vehicle. According to Mr Gyambiby, Attuah, who was driving a Hyundai car with registration number GR 3690 M, was chased by the accused persons. The court heard that on reaching Ayekotse, a suburb of Suhum, the deceased abandoned his vehicle and took to his heels but the accused persons managed to arrest him (Attuah) and brutally assaulted with their guns.
He said they sent the driver to the Suhum Police Station where he collapsed and later died while being conveyed to the Suhum Government Hospital.
Mr Gyambiby said a pathologist's report confirmed that the deceased died as a result of assault. Kwame Okantah, a driver's mate, who worked with the deceased, testifying at court, said the patrol team did not signal them to stop. Okantah said when the vehicle of the team overtook their vehicle the security personnel fired gunshots and his master abandoned the vehicle and fled. Okantah said when he attempted to halt the vehicle after his master and the passengers had bolted, he was beaten by the policeman. The diver's mate told the court that the team arrested his master and seven security personnel put him (master) into the patrol vehicle, which he (Okantah) joined to the Suhum Police station. Okantah said he realised that Attuah was in severe pains, breathing rapidly and could not talk. He said when Atuah finally spoke, he requested for water, which one of the accused persons offered him but moments after he collapsed. According to Okantah, a policeman on duty drew the attention of the patrol team and requested that the deceased was sent to hospital. He said Atuah was pronounced dead at the Suhum Government hospital
