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27.04.2015 General News

Police Shoot Truck

By Daily Guide
Police Shoot Truck
27.04.2015 LISTEN

Reports reaching DAILY GUIDE indicate that the police, in a typical Hollywood style, opened fire on an articulated truck at Aboi Nkwanta, a village on the Asankragwa-Enchi highway in the Western Region.

This was after the driver of the truck allegedly failed to stop upon reaching a barrier near Bogoso in the region.

The truck, with registration number WR 4169-12, belongs to Boison Construction Limited, a building and road construction company based in the Western Region.

According to sources, the incident took place last Monday at about 3pm when majority of the indigenes of Aboi Nkwanta were returning from their farms.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that the police, in their Toyota Hilux, chased after the truck from Bogoso to Aboi Nkwanta and allegedly started firing at the vehicle, causing it to veer off into a nearby bush.

The 34-year-old driver of the truck, John Baffour, was nearly killed when some of the police officers allegedly shot into the windscreen of the driver's side.

Some residents alleged that the police then rushed on the driver and subjected him to severe beatings amidst firing of pepper spray.

A visit by DAILY GUIDE to the scene last Wednesday revealed several bullet holes all over the truck, including its windscreen, tyres and driving mirror.

Truck Driver
Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, the driver recounted that on that fateful Monday, he was moving from Tarkwa towards Asankragwa and on reaching a spot near the Bogoso barrier, he realised that something was falling from the truck and he stopped to rectify the problem, adding that however another driver behind felt he had 'blocked the road and so the driver of that car reported me to the police when he got to the Bogoso barrier'.

Baffuor stated that at the Bogoso barrier, the police stopped him and questioned him and he explained what happened and apologised for the inconvenience caused.

According to him, the police did not accept his apology and that on realising the officers wanted to maltreat him, he drove off.

He added that the police, numbering about four, followed him in their vehicle and crossed the articulated truck when it got to Bogoso, indicating that one of the police men rushed on him and started punching him in the face but he managed to drive off.

According to him, on reaching Asankragwa, a police team stopped him and fired pepper spray on him, forcing him to speed off again.

He said when he got to Aboi Nkwanta, the police, who had been chasing him, started shooting at the truck and so it veered off the road.

'The police rushed on me and pulled me down and subjecting me to severe beatings,' he added.

Police Confirmation
When DAILY GUIDE contacted ASP Alhaji Ahmed Mensah, Asankragwa Division Crime Officer, he said he was aware of the incident but declined to comment further since officials of the driver's company also reported the case to the regional headquarters.

The Regional Police Commander was then contacted and he confirmed that investigations had begun into the case.

From Emmanuel Opoku, Asankragwa

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