Driver who left his car on the rails should not be the only one who must be punished – NPP member

The founder of Patriot Ghana, a group aligned with the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the wreckage of the new train that was on a test drive.

Kwesi Korang says the driver, who was recently jailed six months after pleading guilty to three out of the four charges, cannot be the only one who deserves punishment.

He inquired about the duties of rail inspectors prior to the test run.

He suggested that the incident was highly avoidable and that those in charge ought to be held accountable for their negligence.

This, he noted, can be likened to causing financial loss to the state.

He said, “The driver who left his vehicle on the rails, causing the wreckage, should not be the only one who must be punished. Everyone linked to the matter must be punished. We have refused to highlight this aspect of the issue, only focusing on the driver. That is not the best approach to dealing with the matter. Anyone who is associated with the issue must be punished.”

Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he said, “Someone was negligent. This financial loss to the state was caused by someone who refused to be diligent, and so we must probe the matter and have them punished too.

"We have rushed into jailing the driver. Should that be all? I am appealing to the Ministry of Railway Development to probe beyond the driver. We should know when the vehicle was left on the rails.

"The probe should also unravel how the car was left on the rails. We should also know how many hours the car was left there. Those responsible for ensuring that the test run was successful should be fished out and punished too.”