THREE ON TRIAL FOR DEATH OF DRIVER (BACK PAGE)

Story: A. Kofoya-Tetteh, Koforidua

TWO soldiers and a policeman who were alleged to have beaten a bus driver, one George Atua, alias Maclean, to death at Suhum in August last year, yesterday appeared before a Koforidua High Court.
The three — Lance Corporal Kwasi Dagadu, the policeman, Corporal Ibrahim Bukari and Staff Sergeant Robert Adama, the soldiers — who have been charged with conspiracy and murder, pleaded not guilty and have been remanded in custody to re-appear before the court today.
Another policeman, General Constable David Darko, said to have taken part in assaulting Atua, is currently on the run.
The three were earlier arraigned before a Koforidua Magistrate’s Court, which committed them for trial at the High Court.
Presenting the facts of the case before the court, presided over by Mr Justice Francis Mieza Anyimiah, a Chief State Attorney, Mr Anthony Gyambiby, said on August 3, 2007 at about 7 p.m. the three, together with four others, were on a joint military/police patrol driving in a police vehicle from Kyebi.
He said on reaching Suhum, the police patrol vehicle was carelessly overtaken by a Hyundai bus with registration number GR 3690 M, being driven by the late Atua.
He said when the patrol team signalled Atua to stop, he declined and drove away after which the patrol team chased him and managed to arrest him at Ayekotse, a suburb of Suhum, where they severely beat him up, hitting him several times with their guns.
According to Mr Gyambiby, the accused first sent Atua, who was very weak, to the Suhum Police Station and then to the Suhum Government Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
He said a doctor’s report indicated that Atua died from the severe beatings.
Mr Gyambiby told the court that the prosecution would in the course of the trial prove that Atua actually died from unlawful harm at the hands of the accused persons who acted intentionally.
Giving evidence to what happened on that fateful day, August 3, 2007, Mr Kwame Okanta, a driver’s mate, said he was in the bus being driven by Atua and that after Atua had driven past the police patrol vehicle at Suhum, the patrol vehicle pursued them to Ayekotse, where the deceased abandoned the bus and fled.
Mr Okanta, who said one of the policeman gave him devastating slaps, indicated that Atua was later arrested by the patrol team including the accused persons who took Atua back to the Hyundai bus very weak with his legs dangling in the air.
He said Atua, who could not sit down in the bus and was lying down in the vehicle, was then sent to the Suhum Police Station where the accused persons told the policeman on duty that he (Atua ) was having stomach ache but he (Okanta) refuted that allegation and explained that Atua had driven the bus continuously throughout the day.