Accused policeman denies charges

Friday, July 3, 2009 (Page 19)

SERGEANT John Agyapong, one of the seven policemen who were alleged to have assaulted and robbed a businessman at a hotel in Accra has denied the offence of conspiracy and robbery.
According to him, he neither conspired nor teamed up with the other accused persons to assault and rob the businessman, Mr Kwaku Duah, on February 2, 2009.
Agyapong is standing trial with Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Kwapong of the Rapid Response Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Inspector Thomas Adu, Corporal Lawrence Dennis Quansah, Lance Corporal Karimu Muntari, Constable Benjamin Blejumah, Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi and Bismark Ampofo for allegedly playing various roles in the attack and robbery of Mr Duah.
Sergeant Agyapong, Chief Inspector Adu, Agyapong, Corporal Quansah, Lance Corporal Muntari, Constable Blejumah, Amanor, Tawiah, Gyasi and Ampofo are charged with conspiracy and robbery.
DSP Kwapong has been charged with two counts of conspiracy and stealing.
Acheampong, Jeffrey Kwame Attah, aka Kay, and three others whose names have not been provided are on the run. The accused persons have pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been refused bail by the court, presided over by Mr Mahamadu Iddrisu.
The accused persons were alleged to have robbed Mr Duah, who lives in Europe, at a hotel in Accra and taken away $53,000, €1,000 and GH¢2,000. They were also alleged to have robbed the victim of a black bag containing two compact disc Walkman players, a set of keys, a digital camera, a cheque book and other items, all valued at $4,000.
Led by his counsel, Mr Charles Lwanga Puozuing, to give his evidence-in-chief, Agyapong said he drove Adu and Quansah to the hotel where Mr Duah lodged on February 2, 2009 to investigate an alleged illegal gold business but said he did not get down from the vehicle.
According to Agyapong, who spoke through an interpreter, Mr Duah was later taken to the Tesano Police Depot to meet DSP Kwapong, who had instructed them through Adu to go and investigate what was happening at the hotel.
He said he was not privy to what happened at the Police Depot because he did not get down from the vehicle, adding that he (Agyapong), DSP Kwapong and Adu later drove Mr Duah to Tema to enable Mr Duah to look for persons who he (Mr Duah) had accused of stealing his money.
During cross-examination from Ms Cynthia Lamptey, a Chief State Attorney, the accused person admitted he had stated in his caution statement that Adu had told him (Agyapong) that DSP Kwapong had instructed them to go to the hotel and rescue someone who was being attacked.
He explained that the inaccuracy in his evidence-in-chief and caution statement in respect of their mission at the hotel was because he was earlier made to believe that he and the others were to rescue someone under attack at the hotel.
He, therefore, denied an assertion from Ms Lamptey that his latest evidence was an afterthought, adding that he did not communicate with Adu in order to strategise to rob Mr Duah.
During cross-examination from the counsel for Adu, Mr Kwame Nyankon-Tetteh, the accused person told the court that he did not see Adu threaten to shoot Mr Duah and further stated that he did not see anyone empty the pocket of Mr Duah and later handing it over to Adu.
Agyapong told the court during cross-examination from the counsel for Quansah, Mr Ekow Korsah, that Quansah, who was then with him (Agyapong) and Adu enroute to eat, ended up at the hotel based on the call Adu received from Kwapong.
He also told the court that he did not know Aams prior to the incident when he was cross-examined by the counsel for Aams.
Answering questions under cross-examination from Blejumah, the accused person told the court that he did not interact with Blejumah, who he saw standing by the main gate of the hotel.
He told the court that he neither saw Blejumah around Mr Duah at the hotel nor at the Tesano Police Depot.
Agyapong also told the court during cross-examination from Mr Geoffrey Osafo-Osei, the counsel for Tawiah, Gyasi and Ampofo, that he did not know the three prior to the incident and also did not see them at the hotel or the Tesano Police Depot.
Hearing continues today (July 3, 2009).