KUFUOR ‘KILLER’ IN HOT WATER

A PRINCIPAL State Attorney, Edward Agyemang Duodu yesterday prayed the Accra Motor Court to give the prosecution team additional two weeks to complete investigations into the matter of Mr. Thomas Kofi Osei, the 51-year-old businessman who allegedly ignored the official siren and rammed his Mercedes Benz into the convoy carrying the President, John Agyekum Kufuor, to the Osu Castle in Accra.

In his pleadings, Mr. Agyemang told the court that the Attorney General’s Department received the docket from the police on Thursday November 29, 2007 and therefore would need a few weeks to complete investigations so that appropriate charges would be preferred against the accused.

He further prayed that the accused be remanded until investigations were over.

Thomas Osei, whose plea was not taken, had since been charged with four provisional counts of dangerous driving, negligently causing harm, driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to give way to the presidential convoy.

Mr. Kwame Akuffo, counsel for the accused, had wanted the court to give the prosecution only a week for them to expedite investigations, but the court declined on the grounds that the period would be inadequate.

Mr. Akuffo indicated that this was not the first time the President had been involved in an accident, and therefore saw nothing mysterious about the case which should take prosecution that much time.

Counsel said he was concerned about the liberty of his client but promised that they would co-operate with prosecution for justice to be served to all.

The court then upheld the request of the State Attorney and remanded Thomas Osei into police custody to re-appear on December 14, 2007.

Osei, in charge of Mercedes Benz SE 500 saloon car with registration number GT 2989 W, was on that fateful day driving along South Liberation Link and upon reaching a spot some few metres to the Opeibia traffic lights, ignored the siren of the presidential convoy and drove straight into the rear side portion of the President’s Mercedes Benz S500 saloon car, being driven by Mr. Osafo Addo.

The impact forced the President’s vehicle to somersault and land on a VW Golf saloon car belonging to a certain Pastor Ken Joe Osei Kuffuor.

President Kufuor miraculously escaped unhurt but his driver and the pastor sustained various degrees of injury and were rushed to the 37 Military Hospital where they were treated and discharged.

Further investigations revealed that the accused, at the time of the accident, had an alcohol level of 0.41percent in his body instead of the legal limit of 0.08percent.

Osei had earlier apologized in writing through his counsel to the President and the country at large.

By Mary Anane