Police Seize PM's Car Over Mysterious Death Of Nurse

The police at Sogakofe in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region have begun investigations into circumstances that led to the death of a nurse working with the Sogakofe Government Hospital. Whilst a section of the people say the nurse was knocked down and killed by a car driven by the Presiding Member (PM) of the local assembly, Mr. John Sedo Agbemabiase, the latter has denied the charge. As part of their investigations, the local police have seized the car of the Presiding Member, who is a high profile official of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The nurse, who was employed about two months ago, was reportedly riding on a motorbike together with a male nurse when the accident occurred. The latter is said to be in critical condition at the hospital. Mr. Agbemabiase claimed the nurse was knocked down by an articulated truck which was following his car, but so far, no truck driver has made a report to the police about the incident. Neither the local police nor officials at the Sogakofe Government Hospital where the deceased worked would give her name. But Chronicle established from concerned people in town that the dead nurse was known as Claire Ahiahonu. The male nurse, who is penciled to be the principal witness in the case, is in a coma, and could not talk, thus making it impossible to establish the truth surrounding the death of the young nurse, who is yet to receive her first salary as a worker. Meanwhile, Mr. Agbemabiase, a top National Democratic Congress member, has vehemently denied allegations being made against him by a section of the public that he might have caused the death of the young nurse. According to the Presiding Member, the allegation was politically motivated by his political opponents to tarnish his hard won reputation. Speaking to the Chronicle at Sogakope, the South Tongu Presiding Member claimed that on Thursday, November 3, 2011, he was returning from the regional capital Ho, after marking some examination papers, and decided to take the Ho-Dzodze-Akatsi route. According to him, when he got to the Sogakope Government Hospital, he saw a number of motorbike riders at both sides of the road riding at top speed, which compelled him to slow down. He said when he slowed down, he saw that a bike being ridden by a male nurse with his female counterpart at the back was in his lane, but he overtook them. According to the Presiding Member, the rider decided to ride at his right side close to the edge of the road, which compelled him (Presiding Member) to stop in order to prevent an accident, but the motorbike passed his vehicle, hit the bumper, and quickly tried to get back on to the road. At the same time, an articulated truck which was following him was also making an overtaking, and that it was the truck that crashed with the bike, killing the female nurse instantly, and seriously injuring the other. He said even though he did not crash the nurses on the motorbike, he saw what happened, and drove home and informed some friends about the accident. The friends also advised that instead of going back to the accident scene, he should first lodge a complaint with the police, but when he went to the station there was no officer at the counter, so he called the Divisional Crime Officer and informed him about the incident. Mr. Agbemabiase disclosed that he knew the deceased very well, since she had been visiting his electoral area. He contended that if it was his car that killed the nurse, then her male counterpart who was riding the bike should have also died. The South-Tongu District Director of Health Services, Madam Benedicta Seshie, when contacted, said the death of the nurse was a big blow to the Directorate, and that the sad event had thrown the entire staff at the hospital into a state of moaning. Madam Seshie, who was worried over the accident, told this reporter that the male nurse who was riding the motorbike was currently on admission at the intensive care unit of the hospital, as he sustained various degrees of injury and could not talk. The District Director of Health said the hospital authorities were only waiting and praying that the male nurse would get better, to enable him to give his side of the story, because only a one sided story was doing the rounds. Madam Seshie stressed that the deceased nurse just started work only two months ago, and had not even received any salary, noting that her death would pose serious psychological problems to her aged parents who are bedridden. He pleaded with The Chronicle not to mention the deceased's name, and that of the survivor on admission, to limit the impact on the parents. When contacted, the Divisional Crime Officer confirmed the story, and said the case had been reported to the Motor and Traffic Unit (MTTU) of the station, which would carry out investigations into the accident.