Police impound Mills campaign vehicles

The Police have impounded two Hyundai Galloper cross-country vehicles used by the "Mills for President" campaign team for the 2000 elections.

A source at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police told the Ghana News Agency that it has begun investigating the ownership of the vehicles registered in the name of Africa Automobile Limited (AAL) but believed to belong to the state.

The Police said the cars were found in houses at North Kaneshie and Osu upon a tip-off.

At North Kaneshie, Nana Brofohene alias Nana Frimpong Danso of Dorma-Ahenkro told the Police that Mr Antwi Gyamfi, 58, Director of LANATOP Construction, gave one of the cars to him in November 2000 to use to campaign for the former Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills.

When the Police went to Mr Gyamfi's residence at Osu they found the other vehicle. Mr Gyamfi told the Police that he was the National Organiser of "The Mills for President" campaign team and got the vehicles following appeals he made to his cousins and well wishers in the United Kingdom.

Police investigations at AAL revealed that the company did not sell the vehicles but said they believed their principals might have done so. Investigations showed that although AAL handed over the cars to Mr Gyamfi the company has no documents on the transaction. Gyamfi said he was only informed by AAL to come for the cars and he went to collect them.

Both cars were registered with numbers GW 325 W and GR 8781 R on April 25 and June 26, 2000, in the name of AAL. There was no document on the transfer of ownership.

The source said checks by Interpol from the principals of AAL in London indicated that no such transactions had taken place there. It said Mr Gyamfi has failed to prove his ownership of the cars to investigators and has no documents to support his claims. He has also failed to mention or identify any person or group that sent the cars to him.