It will cost US$2.1 million to fix damage on Tema-Mpakadan train – Prosecution tells Court

The prosecution in the Tema Mpakadan train accident has told the court repairing the train will cost over $2 million.

According to the prosecution, an examination of the damage caused to the train was conducted by the manufacturers of the train and the damage is valued at $2,138,466.86.

Four more persons were arraigned at the High Court in Accra and remanded for abetment of unlawful damage over the train accident at Tema-Mpakadan.

The four are – Kokuo Koudjo, a gas wielder, Patrick Kwaku Sosu, Alaza Prosper, and Fiadugbe Emmanuel labourer were arraigned for abetting the accident.

DMU test

The Prosecution said on the same day, the Management of Ghana Railways Company, led by the complainant and including 28 engineers from Ghana and Poland embarked on a test run of the new Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) 001 Train from Tema to Mpakadan.

She said, the test run had been announced ahead of time and that when the train got to the Abotia area, it rammed into the Hyundai Gold truck which was stuck across the railway lines.

Both the train and the truck got damaged.

“The train was sent to Tema for examination, while the scrap of the vehicle, which was damaged beyond repairs was taken to the Juapong police station for further action,” she stated.

Convict

She told the Court that, on April 19, 2024, the driver, Dzidotor Abel was arrested and arraigned before the Circuit Court in Juapong presided over by His Honour Proper Deu-love Gomashie, where he pleaded guilty to three out of four counts.

He was subsequently convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment.