Crime & Punishment of Wednesday, 24 May 2006

Source: GNA

Assemblyman remanded for offering bribe

Sunyani, May 24, GNA - The Sunyani Magistrate court (B) presided by Mr Albert Zogah on Wednesday remanded Raphael Cubagee, alias Shamoquaye, Assemblyman for Abonsua Number Two in the Sunyani Municipality for attempting to bribe a police officer with two hundred thousand cedis. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempting to influence a public officer and was ordered to reappear on June 1. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Adayuga told the court that the accused was involved in a motor case, which Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) David Kwaku Amoako, in charge of the Regional Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the Ghana Police Service was investigating.

He said on May 18 this year, Cubagee went to the office of ASP Amoako at the Regional Police Headquarters and pleaded with him for an out of court settlement of the case, saying that he would later settle issues with him.

Chief Inspector Adayuga said as ASP Amoako was then having discussions with some people at that time the accused left and not long after Cubagee sent a young man to the office to deliver a white envelope to ASP Amoako.

He said the police officer opened the envelope in the presence of some witnesses in the case and found 200,000 cedis in 10,000 cedi denominations.

When ASP Amoako asked the young man whom Cubagee had asked that the envelope be given to, he answered that the accused had mentioned his name (Amoako).

The prosecutor said ASP Amoako pointed the offence involved in the action and immediately arrested the young man, who in his caution statement mentioned that Cubagee had sent him to give the envelope containing the money to ASP Amoako and the accused was subsequently arrested and charged.