Driver arrested for disappearance of US Missionary

Mr Kofi Seidu, driver of Pastor Padmore Godwill, caretaker of the Prestige Secretarial Computer School in Koforidua, has been arrested by the police to assist in investigations into the disappearance of Rev. Thomas Sydney Barnes, an American Missionary and proprietor of the school.

Deputy Director of the, International Police Organisation (INTERPOL) Ghana, Deputy Superintendent of Police Nicholas Asiamah-Yeboah, told the Times that Seidu was arrested last week by the Koforidua Police on the instructions of INTERPOL Ghana's Director,Chief Superintendent Edward Tabiri.

He is in the custody of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) but no charges have been preferred against him.

About a fortnight ago, the Times published a report on the disappearance of the Baptist Chapel missionary who was said to have arrived at the Kotoka International airport on March 18, 2010 but could not be traced.

Although checks by INTERPOL on the manifest of the Ghana Immigration Service at the airport confirmed the arrival of Rev, Barnes, the driver was reported to have told the police that he waited at the parking lot of the airport to pick him up but he had to leave when the Pastor did not show up.

"Police enquiries at the Ghana Immigration Service manifest at the airport indicated that Pastor Barnes arrived on March 18, at 10:02pm on a British Airways flight and subsequently checked out," Mr. Asiamah-Yeboah said.

Rev. Barnes, 75, reportedly departed the United States for Ghana on March 17 via the United Kingdom but could not be located on arrival in Accra.

DSP Asiamah-Yeboah said on June 24, Pastor Godwill, informed the CID that on March 18, he dispatched Seidu, to pick up Rev. Barnes at the airport, but the driver returned to Koforidua without him, saying he could not locate Rev. Barnes.

He said police investigations showed that Pastor Barnes had resided in Ghana for 12 years on missionary duty during which he established the secretarial school in Koforidua.

Meanwhile, DSP Asiamah-Yeboah said a team of friends of Rev. Barnes is expected to arrive in the country in October, to assist the police in the search.

The team, he said, had also announced a reward of 1,500-pounds for information on the whereabouts of Rev. Barnes.

DSP Asiamah-Yeboah renewed his appeal to members of the public with knowledge about Pastor Barnes’ whereabouts to contact the police on 0302777606, or on e-mail, rewardforsid@gmail.com.