PASTOR TESTIFIES IN PRESIDENT'S ACCIDENT CASE

Reverend King Joe Osei Kuffuor, the man whose VW Golf car was affected by the accident involving President Kufuor, has told the Accra Fast Track High Court that it was not the policeman on duty at the Opeibea intersection who stopped him to give way to the Presidential convoy.
Rather, he stopped by himself to allow the Presidential convoy to pass when he heard the siren blurring.
Rev Kuffuor was testifying under cross-examination from Mr Kwame Boafo Akuffo, counsel for Thomas Osei, the man at the centre of the accident which occurred last November.
The witness is the third for the prosecution.
Osei was first arraigned before the Motor Court on November 16, 2007 and remanded.
He was discharged by the court on Thursday, December 20, 2007 after the prosecution had filed a nolle prosequi (unwilling to prosecute) but he was re-arrested when he stepped out of the court and put before the Fast Track High court on six counts.
Osei now faces seven counts of use of narcotic drugs, dangerous driving, negligently causing harm, driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to give way to a Presidential convoy and failing to effect change of ownership of vehicle, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Around 11.30 a.m. on November 14, 2007, Osei, who was driving a Mercedes Benz SE 500 saloon car in the inner lane along the Liberation Link from the direction of Aviance towards the 37 Military Hospital, drove into the rear side of the President’s vehicle, in spite of the fact that other motorists had been stopped to allow the President’s convoy to pass.
The driver of the President’s car and the driver of a VW saloon car were treated and discharged, while Osei was admitted for treatment.
The President escaped unhurt.
Rev Kuffuor said when he stopped for the convoy to pass the traffic lights at the intersection were working and he had the right of way because the light in his direction had shown green.
He agreed with counsel that he would not be in a position to know whether the traffic light in the direction of the accused person was showing red or not.
According to the witness, he was also not in a position to testify whether when the accused person’s car reached the intersection he (accused person) could not hear the siren blurring.
He agreed with counsel that a car moving from the Aviance direction of the intersection towards the Alliance Francaise area would use the left lane of the road.
Rev Kuffuor said that while he had stopped, he notice other cars, including that of the accused person, with Osei’s moving and coming behind a taxi cab in front of it.
He disagreed with counsel that cars which were in the same direction as the accused person’s did not concern him, likewise the Presidential convoy.
The witness further disagreed with counsel that he was made a prosecution witness in order to avoid being prosecuted for deficiencies about him after investigations into the accident were completed.
He disagreed with suggestions that he was not a man of God but rather assumed that role to deceive the flock.