GRi in Court

GRi in Court Ghana 13 - 12 - 2000

Accra (Greater Accra) 13 December 2000

An Accra Circuit Tribunal will on Wednesday, December 13, give ruling in a case involving the late Daniel Dawutey Chakitey, driver, who was accused of crossing the presidential convoy on the Accra-Tema Motorway.

The incident resulted in a crash in which four of President Jerry John Rawlings' bodyguards died.

The tribunal, chaired by Mr. Ziblim Moru, did not give reasons for the adjournment.

The driver was jointly charged with his mate, Samuel Cudjoe, for abetment of crime while his master was on charges of manslaughter and negligently causing harm.

In his application, Mr. John Klu, counsel for the accused persons, announced the death of Chakitey at the Police Hospital after a short illness in prison custody.

Mr. Klu said the court agreed on its last sitting on Wednesday, December 6, that the suspects should be bailed.

"But on Friday, while I was going to see Chakitey to sign his portion of affidavit, I was told that he had passed away the previous night," counsel said.

Mr. Klu said he is currently working on a coroner report and "very soon a pathologist will perform a post-mortem on the deceased".

Mr. Klu urged the tribunal to release the Nissan Urvan bus, which had been impounded by the police, since there is no provision in the MTTU regulation for seizure of the vehicle.

Police Inspector Emmanuel Boison, who prosecuted, said nobody has claimed ownership of the Nissan Urvan bus.

According to him, the Attorney General's Department has been informed of the death of the driver and appealed to the tribunal to grant Cudjoe bail for the case to be adjourned sine die.

GRi…/