Two soldiers, policeman appear before Court on murder charge

Koforidua, May 23, GNA- Two military men and a police detective corporal on Tuesday were brought before a Koforidua High Court charged with two counts of murder of George MacLean Atuah, a driver, near Ayekotse, a suburb of Suhum in the Eastern Region last year. The accused persons were, Police Detective Lance Corporal Felix Dagadu, Corporal Ibrahim Bukari and Staff Sergeant Robert Adama, both of the Ghana Army.

General Constable David Darko, also implicated in the offence, is however, on the run.

The accused, who are members of a joint Police-Military Anti-Armed Robbery patrol team pleaded not guilty to the charges. A Chief State Attorney, Mr. Anthony Gyambiby, told the court, presided over by Mr. Justice Francis Miezah Anyimiah, that Atuah died after receiving severe beatings from the accused persons while driving to Suhum from Mangoase.

He said the security personnel, who were on a patrol mission in the region had chanced upon the driver, whom they accused of careless driving when attempting to overtake a taxi cab ahead of the patrol vehicle.

According to Mr. Gyambiby, the deceased, then driving a Hyundai car with registration number GR 3690 M, was chased by the accused persons. He said on reaching Ayekotse, a suburb of Suhum, the deceased took to his heels, and after a hot chase, the accused persons pounced on him and assaulted him with their weapons. He said after a while, they took him to the Suhum Police Station's charge office where he collapsed and later died while being conveyed to the Suhum Government Hospital. Mr. Gyambiby said a pathologist's report has confirmed that the deceased died as a result of assault while there was no justification of the brute force employed by the accused persons. An emotional Kwame Okantah, mate of the deceased driver who appeared as the first prosecution witness, played-up the last moment of his master who on the day of his death had driven to Mangoase on seven occasions to pick passengers to Suhum. He said the police did not signal them to stop when they overtook them until the firing of gunshots.

He said it was during the confusion that his master abandoned the vehicle to seek shelter away from the security men. Okantah said as he attempted to bring the vehicle to a halt after his master and the passengers had bolted, he was slapped in both ears by a policeman.

He said not long after, his boss was carried by the security men into the patrol car, which he also joined to the Suhum Police station. He realized at that point that his master was writhing in pains, breathing rapidly and not responding to calls. He said when Atuah finally spoke, he requested for water, which one of the accused persons offered but moments after, he collapsed into his arms. According to Okantah, a policeman on duty drew the patrol's team attention to the fact that they must seek medical attention for the deceased. He said when they finally did, Atuah was proclaimed dead at the Suhum Government hospital. Sitting continues on Wednesday.