MOBILA MURDER, INVESTIGATO R , I WAS INTIMIIDATED BY MY SUPEROR

By Felix Engsalige Nyaaba

The police investigator in the  murder  case  involving  three Military men  who are facing trial for  been  allegedly  responsible for the  murder  of the former Northern Regional Chairman of the Convention People Part (CPP) Alhaji Issah Mobila in December, 2004 yesterday told the court he was intimidated by his superior not to tell the truth about the incident for he would  incriminate them and create problem between the police and the military.

The investigator , Sergeant George Mensah Kpligi, said, the police high command at the time  also reduced his rank and dismissed his colleague in the police services after they have  given the truth account in their report after investigation into the whole murder incident.

He further told the Accra Fast Track High Court presided over by Mr. Justice Mustapha Habib Logo that, the then Northern Regional Commander, ACP Brakatou, tore away the report he (investigator) wrote after conducting investigating into the murder of Issah Mobila and submitted to him (Commander) at his office in Tamale.

According to him,  the then Regional Commander  told him not to give  the truth account of  what he found after investigation, for it would  incriminate both the police and the military which would eventually create bad relation between the two security services.

Sgt. Kpligi who was testifying as the sixth witness in the case, said, as a result of the constant intimidation and other  threats, he fear to tell the truth of the story when he appeared before the Military enquiring Board that was investigating the  incident in other  to save his live.

Led in evidence by the Chief State Attorney, Ms Mamathah, the witness said, on December 9, 2004, the police received information that there were some gun shots at a village called Worizie, a suburb of Tamae and that the guns were allegedly supplied by the late Issah Mobila to the youth to cause trouble in the area prior to the general election.

He explained that, at the Military Barrack, he and one C/CPL Mathias Abengnore who sent Issah Mobila, met the first accused person, Clp Yaw Appiah and other officers at the Guardroom and told them of their mission.

According to him  the accused, Yaw Appiah also introduced himself as the leader of the Guardroom and called in one WO, who supposed to be their commander and they handed over the late Issah Mobila to them.

He told the court that, in their presence, the accused person, Yaw Appiah ordered Mobila to undress and squat under a table in the Guardroom and they left after the normal process in handing over a suspect to another security department was done.

Recounting the report of the investigation to the court, the witness said, it was revealed that, the accused persons later made Issah Mobila to stand on his hands and had his legs and back against wall and tortured him till he was weak.

He said, after the accused realized that Mobila was collapsing, they then asked him to seat on the table but it was too for him to survive and collapsed and died.

The prosecution has since called in six witnesses into the case and expected to call another witness at the next adjourn day.

Cpl. Appiah Yaw, Private Modzaka Eric and Private Seth Gokah who is on the run and been tried on absentia  are facing two counts of conspiracy and murder of Issa Mobila, who was also Chairman of the Tamale/Bolgatanga branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU).

The case has been adjourned to Friday March16, for continuation.