Hit and run driver to pay three million
cedis compensation
Policeman's rifle seized from him- Witness
tells court in Bebli's trial
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 February 2001
Dzamedsi Gomez, a 40-year-old driver on Wednesday appeared before an Accra Circuit Tribunal charged with incest.
Gomez pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody to reappear on March 7.
The court chaired by Mr Ziblim Imoru heard that the 20-year-old victim had suffered the ordeal of having sex with his father since 1994 when he sacked her mother from home at Dzodze in the Volta region.
According to the prosecution, the victim got pregnant but was sent to the Aflao government hospital for an abortion.
After the abortion, Gomez warned the victim not to tell anyone about their relationship especially her mother. She complied because her father was the only person taking care of her.
In February this year, the accused person once more assaulted the victim and threatened to kill her if she informed any one.
The victim, who could no longer contain the ordeal, fled from Dzodze to her uncle at Tema, where she reported her father's behaviour.
The prosecution said, the victim's uncle went to Dzodze to settle the matter amicably but the accused failed to compromise and went about in the village threatening to kill the victim, as well as the mother and her uncle.
The uncle reported the matter to the police and the accused was arrested.
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Hit and run driver to pay three million
cedis compensation
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 February 2001
An Accra Circuit Tribunal on Wednesday imposed a 7.1 million- cedi fine on a hit-and- run driver, Kwame Sarpong who knocked down and killed a pedestrian, Mr Anthony Peprah in January last year.
The accused who was fined three million cedis for causing harm, two million cedis for negligence, two million cedis for careless driving and 100,000 cedis for failing to renew his driving licence, will serve a jail sentence of 12 months in default of payment.
The tribunal, chaired by Mr Mohammed Nabon ordered that three million cedis of the fine should be paid as compensation to the bereaved family of the victim.
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Policeman's rifle seized from him- Witness
tells court in Bebli's trial
Accra (Greater Accra) 22 February 2001
A prosecution witness in the highway gold robbery trial on Wednesday told an Accra High Court that the policeman on their bullion vehicle had his AK 47 rifle seized after receiving a heavy blow from one of the accused persons.
Mr Eric Kofi Boateng, security officer of West Coast Allied Services, a private security company who was giving evidence, told the court that the policemen had pulled the gun out of their vehicle "for action" when the accused persons began firing shots at their convoy.
Boateng was led in evidence by Mr Anthony Gyambiby, Principal State Attorney.
Alhaji Sheikh Shehu alias Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) Jack Bebli and six others are being tried for seizing eight boxes of unrefined gold valued at 2.4 billion cedis in a robbery at Abotsia, near Apam junction on the Accra-Cape Coast highway in February 1999.
Mr Boateng's company was transporting the gold, property of Amansie Gold Resources in the Ashanti Region, when the accused persons attacked them.
The other accused persons are Philip Asamoah, alias Agingo, Isaac Frimpong, alias Nii Baby Tei, Patrick Boakye Mprah, Ex-Corporal James Doli, Augustus Oko Odartey and Kofi Bokor, alias Kofi Bebli.
The prosecution said the accused persons together with others now at large conspired at the New Achimota residence of RSM Bebli in January and February 1999 to execute the robbery.
Asamoah, Frimpong, Mprah, Doli, Bebli and Bokor are charged with conspiracy to commit crime, whilst Frimpong, Mprah and Bokor are charged with robbery.
Asamoah is facing an additional charge of abetment of robbery and Oko Odartey is charged with dishonestly receiving. They have all pleaded not guilty and are in custody.
Mr Boateng further told the court that the accused persons who were in "camouflage military overall uniforms" stopped their Peugeot Caravan in the middle of the road and "we were all ordered to lie on the ground."
Witness said he could not identify the gunman who gave the order because he wore a mask.
He said they drove in a convoy of three vehicles, in the order of a front escort, the bullion and rear escort vans.
He said while he was in the rear escort vehicle with three others, Asamoah, one of the accused persons, was driving the bullion van.
Mr. Boateng told the court that after the police escort's rifle had been seized, "I heard a sound as if someone was breaking into something".
Witness said he saw the bullion commander, Mr. Andrews Inglis, coming out of the van and heading towards the bush.
He said after the gunman, who spoke in "broken English" had ordered him and three others into the rear escort van, he heard someone say, "Charlie, it is eight, and so four-four."
Witness said when he came out of the van, he saw the bullion van lying in a ditch on its side with the front glass smashed, while the rear escort van also had its rear tyres deflated.
He said on inspecting the scene, it was realised that the gold had vanished, whilst his driver Mr Teddy Amevor had been wounded in the right hand by the assailants.
Mr. Boateng said he asked Nyarko to take Amevor to hospital while the rest drove to the Apam Police Station to report.
Witness said a formal report was then made to the police in Accra on March 31.
During cross-examination by Mr Nelson Cofie, Counsel for Asamoah, witness told the court that it is the bullion commander who normally directs the drivers as to what routes to take.
Before the case was adjourned to tomorrow, Mr Justice Richard Apaloo, the presiding judge asked Mr E.E. Annan an Accra Barrister to appear for Frimpong, the only accused person without counsel.
Mr. Justice Apaloo said the Legal Aid Board will be notified by a copy of his order.
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