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The former president of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA), Dr. Alexander Kofi Tweneboah, who is being tried for his alleged involvement in SIM box fraud, has told an Accra Fast Track High Court that the police compelled him to admit to the charges leveled against him.

He said the police insisted that should he agree to it, his nephews who were also arrested in connection with the matter would not be charged.

Dr. Tweneboah revealed this at the Financial Division of the High Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, when he was giving his evidence-in-chief yesterday.

The accused together with three others have been charged with providing electronic communication service without license, possessing illegal device and knowingly obstructing and interfering with sending, transmission, delivery and receiving communication.

They have pleaded not guilty and is currently on a GH¢200,000 bail with two sureties.

Evidence-in-chief

During his evidence-in-chief yesterday, Dr. Tweneboah told the court that, on January 15, he was out of Accra on a farming project at Kasoa when received a call that his house was being invaded with several members of his household arrested and sent to Baatsona Police Station.

He said upon returning, three of his nephews, Emmanuel Kofi Essilfie, Edmond Essilfie and Kwaku Appiah, were taken to the police, so he followed up to seek their release.

According to him, upon reaching there, he was handcuffed and charged with illegal possession of fire arms and electronic devices relating to SIM box fraud.

The accused person told the court that, he was not allowed to speak to the three other accused persons from his household and they were granted bail the next day by the Baatsoona Police, but the bail was regularized on January 19.

He said after the bail, the police came to search the house thoroughly and subjected his nephews to beatings after they failed to open a door locked in the house. One of them, he said, was in pain and was admitted to the La General Hospital.

According to Dr. Tweneboah, while at the hospital, he received a call to report with his nephews at the Baatsona Police Station. He said upon reaching there, several police officers were gathered in front of the counter.

“I was handcuffed, and told, I have been arrested. They seized my phone and vehicle keys. When I requested to call my lawyer, I was told my phone is a potential evidence in the matter.”

He told the court that he was placed in a vehicle and driven to the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) headquarters and that, “On our way, Eric Korley was interrogating me all along about the SIM box fraud. He told me if I agreed to the fraud, my nephews would not be charged and my case would be dealt with at the Police Station.”

He told the court that, the Head of Communications and Visa Fraud Unit of the CID, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Seth Seworn, told him after being interrogated at the CID headquarters that the case was still under investigations and so he could not be granted bail.

“So I was to be detained at the Cantonment Police Station. When we got there, the place was being rehabilitated so I was taken to Osu Police Station for two days.” The case continues today.