Cop hot for drunk driving

Police Crime Officer in-charge of Sekondi District Police Command in the Western Region, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr. Kingsley Aboagye, who was alleged to have been heavily drunk while driving on the Kasoa-Winneba road in the Central Region on Friday, May 20, 2016 has landed himself in the grips of the law, Today has gathered.

Today’s discreet inquiries showed that DSP Aboagye was drunk to the extent that he lost control of the steering wheel of the said police vehicle which colour was yellow and black with registration number NR-1307-12. He was driving from Sekondi to Accra.

That situation, the paper learnt, saw him crashing the car into a 19-seater Benz bus sprinter with registration number GW-9538-14, belonging to one Mr. Charles Kofi.

The accident, Today gathered, happened at Tipper Truck Junction near Liberian Camp on the Kasoa-Winneba road on Friday May 20, 2016.

Following that development, the Kasoa District Police Command has begun investigations into the matter.

The investigations, Today discovered, follow the official report lodged with the Kasoa District Police Command by the owner of vehicle, Mr. Charles Kwoffie, on Friday, May 20, 2016 in which he alleged that DSP Kingsley used police vehicle with registration number NR-1307-12 to hit the driver’s side of his car.

Speaking to Today Mr. Charles Kwoffie said the incident occurred at 9:30 a.m., at Tipper Truck Junction near Liberian Camp.

The damaged vehicle which the owner claimed he bought at GHC45,000.00, travels from Aflao to Kasoa on daily basis.

The owner further claimed the damage caused to his car was estimated at GHC19,520.00.

Meanwhile, a deep throat source at the police in Kasoa has told Today that during their investigations it emerged that the accident was as a result of reckless driving by the senior law enforcement officer who was alleged to be under the influence of alcohol.

A police investigator with the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) at Kasoa District Police Command, Inspector, Owusu Seth Yaw, confirmed to Today that a complaint had been brought against DSP Kingsley by Mr. Charles Kwoffie, for causing damage to his vehicle.

The police officer added that his outfit was seriously investigating the issue to find out what caused the accident.

He indicated that when the driver lodged the complaint on that Friday, some police personnel were deployed to the scene of the accident and towed the two accident vehicles to the premises of the Kasoa District Police Command.

Inspector Owusu said on Saturday, May 21, 2016 DSP Kingsley together with the car owner (Charles Kwoffie) were invited to the police station to write their statements of claim. Inspector Owusu told Today that the senior police officer admitted in his caution statement in the presence of the Kasoa District Police Commander, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr. Samuel Kuda, that the fault was his and subsequently promised to repair the damaged vehicle.

Today understands that on Thursday, May 26, 2016 DSP Kingsley sent his wife to meet the owner of at the premises of the Kasoa District Police Command.

According to sources, during the meeting the wife of the senior police officer pointed out to Mr. Charles Kofi that “I and my husband have thought otherwise that we cannot afford to foot the payment of expenses on the damaged vehicle hence, you [referring to Mr. Charles Kwoffie] can take us to court…this is our stance now! Period. We are ready for you.”

However, the owner of the damaged vehicle expressed surprise at the sudden turn of the senior police officer’s attitude.

Several efforts made by Today to contact DSP Kingsley to comment on the allegations leveled against him proved futile.

For instance calls and text messages placed on his Vodafone line: 0208218719 went unanswered.

One of the SMS text messages sent to DSP Kingsley by Today on Monday, May 30, 2016 at 8:07 a.m., read: “DSP kindly pick my call because I want to seek clarification from you with regard to the issue of a damaged car belonging to one Mr. Charles Kwoffie. I’m Freeman Koryekpor, a journalist with Today newspaper.”

Early on Saturday, May 28, 2016, when Today contacted the wife of DSP Kingsley who mentioned her name as Marta Abariga on Vodafone line: 0209285423, she listened to the allegations against her husband but could neither confirm nor deny them.

However, she said, “l don’t know anything about this. It is a wrong line.”