Cape Coast: Police Service fined GH¢320,000 for negligence

The Cape Coast High Court has fined the Ghana Police Service GH¢320,000 for negligence on the part of its officers, which led to the shooting of three persons in a taxi cab, during a robbery chase.

While pursuing armed robbers from Twifo Praso, strayed bullets happened to have hit a moving taxi occupied by three persons; a couple and a student.

One of the victims died on arrival at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, and two others sustained injuries.

The Court preside over by Justice Kwasi Boakye awarded the sum of GH¢150,000.00 as compensation to the 1st plaintiff.

The 3rd plaintiff, Cecilia Mensah, a student of the Academy of Christ The King SHS, the judge awarded compensation payable at GH¢60,000

He also further awarded a lump sum of GH¢100,000 to the estates of the deceased because her family member, Josephine Okyere, sued as a dependent of Mary Aboagye.

The court assessed cost at GH¢10,000 in favour of the plaintiffs and against the defendants.

Justice Kwasi Boakye explained that the judgment was not meant to intimidate and lower the morale of the police institution.

Background

According to the Ghana Police Service, it deployed five policemen from police stations in the Central Region for police patrol duty at Darmang near Twifo Praso.

On patrol, they received information that a BMW car with four occupants, was suspected to be driving recklessly.

They added that when the said BMW car approached the patrol team, they driver refused to stop when signalled by the policemen.

The police also told the court that when its team chased the suspected robbers to the area around the Jukwa Senior High School, it was then that the occupants of the BMW car began firing at the police patrol vehicle with an AK 47 rifle leaving the police no choice but to return fire.

They confirmed to the court that the suspects have been arrested and taken to the regional headquarters in Cape Coast.