Tuesday, July 14, 2009 (Page 31)
ONE of the policemen who are standing trial with 11 others for allegedly robbing a businessman yesterday openly accused one of his alleged accomplices of lying to the circuit court hearing the case.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Patrick Kwapong could not hide his rage when one of the accused persons, Lance Corporal Karimu Muntari, in his evidence-in-chief, told the court that DSP Kwapong had sent him (Muntari) and two of his colleagues to investigate an alleged narcotic business being undertaken by Mr Kwaku Duah.
DSP Kwapong had earlier, in his evidence-in-chief, informed the court that he had not sent Muntari and one of the accused persons, Constable Benjamin Blejumah, to the hotel but Muntari told the court yesterday that he (Muntari), Blejumah and one of the accused persons, Constable Ken Duodu Acheampong, had been sent by DSP Kwapong to the hotel.
Barely 15 minutes into Muntari’s testimony, the visibly angry and shaken DSP Kwapong blurted, pointed accusing fingers at Muntari and uttered, “He is speaking a pack of lies. You are a blatant liar!”
But the trial judge, Mr Justice Mahamadu Iddrisu, did not take kindly to DSP Kwapong’s conduct.
The judge reminded Kwapong that he (Kwapong) was a “very senior officer”, while Muntari was a “very junior officer” and for that matter he (Kwapong) must not interfere in Muntari’s evidence.
Counsel for Kwapong, Mr Ellis Owusu Fordjour, apologised on behalf of his client and advised his client to act with decorum.
Muntari, who was later directed by the court to continue with his evidence-in-chief, avoided DSP Kwapong’s piercing gaze throughout his testimony.
Muntari is standing trial with DSP Kwapong of the Rapid Response Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Inspector Thomas Adu, Sergeant John Agyapong, Blejumah, Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi and Bismark Ampofo for allegedly playing various roles in the attack and robbery of Mr Duah.
The accused persons have all pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and robbery and have been refused bail. Acheampong, Jeffrey Kwame Attah, aka Kay, and three others whose names have not been provided are on the run.
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 Shahadu Mohammed, to give his evidence-in-chief, Muntari told the court that between 8.30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on February 2, 2009, DSP Kwapong had called him (Muntari) personally to his (Kwapong’s) office and tasked him (Muntari), Blejumah and Acheampong to go to Tema and effect the arrest of a drug suspect.
It was at that point that Kwapong accused Muntari of lying to the court. After the court’s intervention, Muntari continued and stated that he and the others got to the Tema Roundabout only for the driver of the Toyota Corolla on which they were travelling to inform them that Kwapong had found that the businessman was lodging in a hotel in Accra and not Tema.
Muntari said the driver, whom he did not know and who was not present in court, turned the vehicle around and drove straight to the hotel in Accra, where they met Adu, Agyapong and Quansah who had arrived in a Mercedes Benz.
He also told the court that he saw Adu and Acheampong struggling with Mr Duah. The two (Adu and Acheampong) eventually handcuffed Mr Duah and put him in the waiting Mercedes Benz.
According to Muntari, he also saw a soldier and a civilian in suit emerge from the reception near Mr Duah’s room with both holding two brown parcels.
He said Adu directed the soldier and the civilian to put the parcels in the Toyota Corolla, adding that the man who had driven him (Muntari), Blejumah and Acheampong to the hotel left the hotel premises in a red pick-up, leaving the Toyota Corolla behind.
Muntari said Acheampong joined Adu in the Mercedes Benz, while Blejumah drove him (Muntari) in the Toyota Corolla to the Tesano Police Depot.
The accused person also told the court that at the Police Depot, he (Muntari) gave the four brown envelopes which were in the possession of Acheampong and the soldier to Adu, who in turn put them in a black plastic bag and marched Mr Duah to Kwapong.
According to Muntari, he did not know the content of the envelopes because nobody told him what the contents were, adding that Kwapong later ordered him and Blejumah to go back to the office.
The prosecution is expected to cross-examine Muntari on Friday, July 17, 2009.
Earlier, Quansah had told the court during cross examination from counsel for Adu, Mr Dominic Kwame Nyamkon Tetteh, that he had not seen Adu slap Mr Duah.
He further stated that he did not see Adu remove an envelope from Mr Duah’s pocket.
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