Osei Shows Remorse To President

By Stephen K. Effah
Saturday, 21 June 2008

Thomas Osei, the man who drove into President J.A.Kufuor’s car on November 14,2007, yesterday showed remorse when he told the Fast Track High Court trying him of his intention to apologise to President Kufuor when given the opportunity.

"Yes I will go and apologise when I am given the opportunity. I still want to be his son," he stated, when he was being led in evidence by his counsel, Kwame Akuffo, after he opened his defence yesterday.

He said he did not bear any malice for the president on that fateful day the accident occurred, saying, "I was so surprised when I realised that I have bumped into his (President Kufuor) car because I know him. I felt so bad, my lord".

The 51 year-old man told the court that he did not realise it was President Kufuor’s car that he drove into until he came out to see the coat of arms on it.

"I said to myself: Oh my God! What have I done when I realised that it was President Kufour’s car I drove into," he added.

Osei, who is a businessman is facing charges for dangerous driving, negligently causing harm, driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to give way to Presidential siren and the use of narcotic drugs. The President escaped unhurt.

Osei has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and is still on police remand.

In his evidence in chief to the court, Osei admitted being a regular visitor to President Kufuor’s residence.

He said he has known President Kufuor when he (Osei) was resident in Japan between 1990 and 2000.

While there, he said, he got to know some key Japanese and Ghanaian politicians, and even influenced the grant from the Japanese Government for the construction of the Kasoa Yamoransa road where his partner, K.T Wilson, is a sub-contractor.

Osei told the court that on the day of the accident, he did not hear any siren when he got to the Opeibea Intersection, the accident spot, noting "there was nothing indicating that the President’s car was progressing".

"I only heard a fainted siren at the 37 area but not at the intersection," he said, adding that at the time of the accident, there was no police officer on duty at the intersection.

Osei also denied the claim by the prosecution that he disregarded a police officer’s signal to stop for the President’s convoy to pass, as well as the claim that he overtook the two cars which were ahead of him.

He told the court that he was driving to his office after he had gone to eat at London Restaurant where he took only two bottles of beer when the accident occurred. He said he was not drunk as claimed by the prosecution.

Moments after he got to the intersection from the Aviance Cargo area, he said, the traffic lights turned green and two cars which were ahead made a turn towards the airport traffic light.

He said he had gotten to the fifth lane when a car suddenly hit his. He said some security personnel came up to him, and asked why he has done that because he knew them and they also know him.

Osei said that President Kufuor was immediately taken away making the security personnel suspect that he was being taken to the 37 Military Hospital. "They took me to the 37 Military Hospital" but when they realise the President was not there, they took me too to the Bureau of National Investigation office.

There he said, he met the President’s Security, Bediako, who used the back of his hands to hit him on the mouth, thus making him sustain injury on his lips. "I was taken to a room and Bediako asked me to lie down which I did. "He used his shoe to kick me like a football and I bled profusely."

Just then, he said, Francis Poku, the former National Security Minister, came in and asked what had happened to him and he told him it was Bediako who hit and kicked him.He ordered one Dr.Brako and one BNI official to take me to hospital.

Osei told the court that on arrival at the 37 Military Hospital, One Dr.Gyan stitched his wounds and took an X-ray of him. He said "Dr.Brako was interfering so "Dr.Gyan told him that 37 is beyond his jurisdiction".

He said a police officer later came to take his breath but did not tell him what he was going to use it for. He said Dr.Brako also later came to take his blood sample without letting him know what it was going to be used for.

He said that Dr. Brako again took his urine sample when they went to search his house, noting the samples were later taken to Medi Lab where it was tested and I was told that I have cocaine in my blood.

"I have never taken cocaine in my life before," he told the court.

The court adjourned proceedings to June 23 for the prosecution to cross-examine Osei.