Taxi driver in court for killing a boy

A-35-year-old driver, who allegedly knocked a 13-year-old boy with his taxicab, killing him instantly in the Eastern Region and dumped the body in the bush in the Central Region has been arraigned at the Asamankese Circuit Court.

Sampson Awuah, whose plea was not taken, was remanded in prison custody until June 15.

He is charged with driving on the road without due care and attention and negligently and unlawfully causing harm to Master Evans Obadae Basare, the boy.

Chief Inspector Alhassan Amadu, prosecuting, told the court, presided over by Mr S. S. Appiah that Awuah, an Accra-based taxi driver on May 20, drove his Hyundai Excel taxicab with registration number GW 6824 Q from Accra towards Asamankese with one person on board.

On reaching Asikasu on Nsawam-Asamankese motor road, regardless of other users of the road knocked down Master Basare, who was walking on the near edged of the road. He died on the spot.

Awuah then lifted Basare into his vehicle and sped off to a destination unknown to the boy's relatives.

The relatives of Basare, the prosecutor said followed up to the Asamankese Government hospital but neither the body of the deceased nor the vehicle was found. They then followed up to Swedru, Winneba and Nsawam hospitals but to no avail

Chief Inspector Amadu said, on May 21, a farmer at Mankrong Junction in the Central Region went to his maize farm to work but to his amazement found the body of Basare on the farm.

He informed Mankrong Junction Police, who went for the body and deposited it at the Winneba hospital mortuary for identification and autopsy.

Asikasu Police were later informed and the father of Basare, Mr Kwasi Kumah identified the body as that of his son, who was knocked down by a vehicle on May 20.

Autopsy was performed on the body and released to the relatives for burial.

On May 29, Awuah, who had earlier told his car owner that he knocked down a goat later confessed that he had knocked down a human being and not a goat and since the incident, he was being haunted making him unable to sleep.

Following the confession, the car owner, a soldier handed him over to the Cantonment's Police in Accra and was subsequently handed over to Asikasu Police for investigation.