Saturday, 21 December

East Legon accident: Family of deceased laments suspect driver Elrad Amoako's 6-month sentencing

Crime
Justine Agbenu's distraught grandmother

The family of Justin Agbenu has reacted to the sentencing of Elrad Amoako to six months in a senior corrections centre.

The Accra Central Correction Court pronounced the judgement, Thursday, December 19.

Elrad in October drove a Jaguar vehicle on top speed, ramming into an Acura at a junction in East Legon. Eventually, both cars caught fire and two girls Justin Agbenu and Maame Dwomoh Boaten perished in the inferno.

When GHOne’s Murtala Inusah spoke to Justine’s grandmother outside the courtroom, she repeatedly asked with visible disappointment, “What can I say?”

“The court has spoken but I’m praying the court will make some changes at a point,” she hoped.

“You can’t kill two people through reckless driving, and have this legal outcome. But this is the law.”

Read: Car accident: 2 burned to death in East Legon, 3 sent to hospital – GNFS

Another elderly woman in mourning clothing asked in consternation, “So is this all the court will say?”

Justine’s grandmother was of the opinion Elrad’s parents, Bishop Elisha Salifu Amoako, and Mouha, had to be punished severely.

“If you’re parents and your child of 16 years – you say he has depression and is on medication – who doesn’t have a driving licence… You don’t monitor him, and he does this, who really should be blamed?” she questioned.

Read: Police identify Salifu Amoako as 'suspect driver' in East Legon weekend accident that incinerated 2

“The father himself has said he drives without licence, is that not it? There was a video going round. He drives unregistered vehicles and without licence – a crab doesn’t beget a bird.”

The other grandmother chimed in, “He was the same person who said [in a church service] the child did not pull a gun to kill anyone.”

Read: Bishop Salifu Amoako asserts East Legon 'terrible accident' was not premeditated by his son

“You claim to be church leaders but is this really a pastor? Is he a genuine pastor?” Justine’s grandmother returned.

“Initially, he said he was not guilty. So it means he doesn’t even have any empathy or respect for human life. He said he wasn’t guilty to all the charges, including driving without licence. Have you heard this before?

“God being good, the prosecutor gathered evidence. And when he saw the depth of the evidence, they had no choice than to make a U-turn and plead guilty.

“Salifu Amoako has money so he went for about six lawyers for this boy to plead not guilty. When they saw they couldn’t do anything about the evidence, they made a U-turn.”

The timelines of the court proceedings and final judgement, she said, “were good.

“Because they say for the juvenile system, if we wait and six months pass, the matter becomes irrelevant. So it’s good.”

Sarcastically, she concluded, “To Salifu Amoako and his Lebanese Mouha, we say sorry indeed.”

Read: East Legon accident: Elrad Amoako sentenced to 6 months in custody

Source: classfmonline.com/Prince Benjamin