Kwabenya escape – Fourth accused person opens defence

The fourth accused person in the Dome Kwabenya District Police Station cell break in which a policeman was killed, Prince Kofi Acheampong, on Monday opened his defence, before the Accra Circuit Court.

Prince told the court that he was a fetish priest and did not know any of the three accused persons.

He said on the said day of his arrest, he was at home at Afienya around 0100 hours when the police came over to arrest one Edward Lartey and later broke into his room and arrested him as well.

He said upon his arrest the police told him that, one Prince Osei had come to steal a gun from his room and that was the reason for his detention

When asked by his counsel Niibi Ayi-Bonte, who was leading him to give his evidence in chief, he denied the assertion by the police that he assisted Osei by giving him a gun.

He maintained that he had not met Osei before neither has he stolen any gun from him.

During cross examination by the prosecution led by Police Inspector Samuel Ahiabor, he enquired from the accused, how long he has practised as a fetish priest of which he answered that he had been rendering healing services to his clients for the past eight years.

Prince said after his arrest his statement was written by the police, but denied that he stated in it that he knew one Yaw also called Prince Osei alias Babe.

When asked whether it was true according to his statement to the police that he always protected Osei against bottles and cutlass wounds, he denied it and reiterated the fact that he did not know Osei and had never met him.

Prince also denied that he had assisted Osei with a gun to escape from lawful custody.

During cross examination by the three other accused persons, Prince Osei, Nancy Denta and Kofi Seshie, Prince said he did not know any of them neither had any of them been to his shrine before.

This ended his defence and cross examination by the prosecution and the three other accused persons.

The case was adjourned to January 15, for Kofi Seshie to open his defence.

Source: GNA