Four artisans have been remanded into custody by an Accra High Court for their roles in actions that led to the newly acquired train damaged on the Tema-Mpakadan rail line while on a test run.
24-year-old gas welder, Kokuo Koudjo, 52-year-old Patrick Kwaku Sosu, 28-year-old Alaza Prosper and 31-year-old Emmanuel Fiadugbe, all labourers have been charged with abetment of unlawful damage.
According to the prosecution, led by Assistant State Attorney, Christabel Selma Anafuree, the four accused persons aided Abel Adzidotor, the 41-year-old truck driver who was jailed for leaving the vehicle unattended on the rail tracks, leading to the accident.
Presiding judge, Justice Lydia Osei Marfo remanded the quartet after prosecution entreated the court for more time to conclude its investigations. The pleas of the accused persons were therefore not taken.
Presenting the brief facts to the court, prosecutor noted that Mr Koudjo, the gas welder bought some blocks from a block factory at Juapong and conveyed them to Abortia using the underpass of the railway lines while the other 3 accused were in the truck.
According to her, after discharging the blocks at his site, they decided to avoid the under bridge and cross the railway lines with their vehicle.
Despite being fully aware that the railway lines were inaccessible to motor vehicles, the accused persons still decided to use the railway lines as a shortcut to get to Juapong.
She told the court that, when they arrived at the railway lines and realized that it was impossible to cross over the railway tracks, they decided to gather stones from the sides of the tracks, which they placed on the railway lines to serve as a path for the truck to cross over.
However, the truck still got stuck on the railway line. They then tilted the head of the truck and left the scene without providing any warning for trains plying the tracks.
“Investigations have disclosed that there is no access route across the railway tracks to the Juapong road.
“Even if the truck had successfully crossed the railway, a big gutter and a stream to the west side of the railway lines would have prevented the accused persons from joining the Akuse-Juapong road.
“On the same day, the Management of Ghana Railways Company, led by the complainant and including 28 engineers from Ghana and Poland embarked on a test run of the new Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 001 Train from Tema to Mpakadan.
This test run had been announced ahead of time and when the train got to the Abotia area, it rammed into the Hyundai Gold truck which was stuck across the railway lines.
Both the train and the truck got damaged.
“The train was sent to Tema for examination, while the scrap of the vehicle, which was damaged beyond repairs was taken to the Juapong police station for further action,” the Assistant State Attorney narrated to the court.
The case has been adjourned to May 8 for the pleas of the accused persons to be taken.