Four more persons arrested and remanded for their involvement in accident of new train

The Ghana Police Service has arrested four more persons for their alleged involvement in causing the train accident which occurred on April 18, at Abotia in the Volta Region.

The accused persons, Kokou Koudjo, a 34-year-old welder, Patrick Kwaku Sosu, a 52-year-old  labourer, Alaza Prosper, a 28-year-old labourer and Fiadugbe Emmanuel, a 31-year-old labourer, have all been charged with abetment of unlawful damage by the Accra High Court.

The court, presided over by Justice Mrs Lydia Osei-Marfo did not take the pleas of the accused persons, and remanded them into police custody pending further investigations into the matter.

On Thursday, April 18, 2024, the new Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train was involved in an accident after it rammed into a stationary truck, which was left across the railway lines.

According to the prosecution, preliminary investigation revealed that the first accused, Koujo, bought some blocks from a factory at Juapong and conveyed the same to Abortia using the underpass of the railway lines.

After offloading the blocks at the designated location, the accused persons chose to cross the railway line with the truck, despite knowing that the route was inaccessible to vehicles.

The prosecution said upon the accused persons reaching the railway line, and realizing they could not cross, they packed stones on the railway tracks in order to aid them move across it but their attempt was not successful.

Following their unsuccessful attempt, they left the truck on the railway line unattended, which led to the accident.

The prosecution said investigations have established that there is no access route across the railway tracks to the Juapong road and even if the truck had successfully crossed the railway, a big gutter and a stream would have still prevented the accused persons from joining the Akuse to Juapong road.

The train has since been sent to Tema for maintenance work to be done.

Source: Myrepubliconline