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A businessman, Dr. Kwadwo Agyapong Berry, has petitioned the Attorney General (AG) to intervene in his kidnapping and torture case, which was recently brought before the Court.
Dr. Berry has also urged the AG to ensure a swift trial of his case. He described enduring a 13-hour ordeal of kidnapping and torture on December 19, 2024, at Laboma Beach in Accra. At a press conference in Accra, Mr. James Kofi Afedo, Dr. Berry’s lawyer, said that his client had lost faith in the Ghana Police Service in his quest for justice. Mr. Afedo also disclosed that, regrettably, four weeks after the incident, the police had yet to investigate the crime scene.
“So, we do not know what the Police are taking to Court. We have got to a point where my client has lost all hope for the Police to help him get justice. “As a result of that we petitioned the Judicial Unit of the Police to also intervene and directed that proper investigations be conducted and transfer docket to the Attorney General and prosecution done speedily.
“We don’t want to accept the information we have, that this guy (Albert Tetteh Botchway) is so powerful, and he has made payment to top officers to cover up, because he gets away with Police all the time,” Afedo told journalists. Mr. Afedo mentioned that he had received information indicating that the Judicial Police had forwarded the case to the Attorney General on the afternoon of January 29, 2025. He described the transfer of the matter to the Attorney General as “a piece of good news for us.”
Mr. Afedo stated that they planned to submit all relevant information and documents to the Attorney General, as he thought the true details of the incident had not yet been presented in court. He disclosed that they were considering filing a civil suit against the perpetrators. “If we all desire to take the law into or hands by beating people and kidnapping people everywhere we would not be able live in the country as citizens.
“The practice where people do things with impunity should end in the country. But we are not going to let go. What happened to my client should not happen to any citizen of this country. “We will continue to chase justice, and we believe that the Attorney General would help us get justice,” he said. Mr. Afedo said Dr. Berry was subjected to torture by his perpetrators for committing no offence and “people are trying to cover up.”
Meanwhile, three out of five individuals have been brought before an Accra Circuit Court for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping and assault of Dr. Berry. The accused are Albert Tetteh Botchway, 34, David Burke, 34, both businessmen, and Promise Lamptey, 29, a security guard. Two other accused persons, Awudu Balm and Katanga, remain at large. They have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, specifically kidnapping and assault.
When the case was called, the first accused, Botchway, was absent but submitted a medical report to the court. David Burke and Promise Lamptey, the second and third accused persons, who were present in court, denied the charges against them. Both Burke and Lamptey were granted bail of GHC50,000 each, with two sureties each. The matter has been adjourned to February 3, 2025.
Source: GNA
