Asamankese, July 17, GNA – Three lawyers, acting as “Friends of the Court,” defended a driver, Kwadwo Beko, who was standing trial for using an expired driver’s license.
He also faced a charge of not observing traffic regulations, causing an accident, which resulted in the death of one person with three others injured.
The lawyers are Mr. Kofi Owusu Ansah, Mr. Odame Adufu and Mr. Raphael Alijina.
Police Chief Inspector F. K. Nartey, prosecuting, told the court that Beko a professional driver, was issued with a temporary driver’s license on June 6, 2009, but expired on September 8, in that year.
He said on May 15, 2010, however, at about 2100 hours, the accused was driving his Mazda vehicle with registration number GT 7360R from Asamankese to Suhum.
On reaching a spot at Ali, a suburb of Suhum, he failed to observe traffic regulations and, therefore, knocked down one Isaac, who later died.
Isaac was standing behind a truck which had been involved in an accident.
The accused’ car then crashed into an Opel taxi cab, GT 7165X, being driven by Nicholas Ofori from the opposite direction and the impact injured two persons who together with Isaac, were rushed to the Suhum Government Hospital where Isaac died.
The injured were treated and discharged.
The prosecutor said following the accident, the police took measurement at the scene.
Investigations, however, revealed that the accused had no valid driver’s license at the time of the accident.
Following the accident, the police sent a duplicate docket to the Attorney General’s Office for advice, which advised that Beko be charged with the offences and arraigned before the court.
Mr. Ansah announcing himself as a “friend of the court” said except driving without a license, all the other facts could not hold.
He said the accused was driving around 2100 hours when he met an accident vehicle, which had spread wood on the road and since at night one could only see a few metres on the road he was involved in the accident.
The lawyer contended that the accused could be held only for driving without a valid driver’s license.
The two other lawyers associated themselves with the submission of Mr Ansah.
Source: GhanaWeb
