The prosecution on Thursday preferred an additional charge of failing to effect change of ownership of vehicle against Thomas Osei, the man at the centre of President J.A. Kufuor's car crash. Following that, the old charge sheet which contained six charges was substituted with a new one to reflect the additional charge, while the plea of the accused was taken again. Similarly, the particulars relating to the use of narcotics were also amended to indicate that the accused used cocaine because traces of the narcotic were found in his urine. Osei now faces seven counts of use of narcotic drugs, dangerous driving, negligently causing harm, driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to give way to a Presidential convoy and failing to effect change of ownership of vehicle, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Osei was discharged by the court on Thursday, December 20, 2007 after the prosecution had filed a nolle prosequi (unwilling to prosecute) but was re-arrested when he stepped out of the court. He was first arraigned before the Motor Court on November 16, 2007 and remanded. The facts of the case are that around 11.30a.m. on November 14, 2007, Osei, who was driving a Mercedes Benz SE 500 saloon car in the inner lane along the Liberation Link from the direction of Aviance towards the 37 Military Hospital, drove into the rear side of the President's vehicle in spite of the fact that other motorists had been stopped to allow the President's convoy to pass. The driver of the President's car and the driver of a VW saloon car were treated and discharged, while Osei was admitted for treatment. The President escaped unhurt. Investigations showed that Osei was driving allegedly under the influence of alcohol. The first prosecution witness, General Constable Joseph Frimpong of the Airport Police Station, who was on duty at the Opeibea intersection on the day of the incident narrated to the court how the accident occurred. According to him, he was at post when, at about 11.30 a.m., he received a call from President Kufuor's security that the President was about to pass to his office and, therefore, he should be on the alert. Constable Frimpong said when he heard the siren of the Presidential convoy, he stopped all vehicles, but suddenly he heard the sound of a moving vehicle, which happened to be Osei's. He said Osei's vehicle overtook others to hit the vehicle of the President adding that after the accident he went to Osei's vehicle to hold him before the President's security detail took him away. The witness said Osei, realising what he had done, put his hands on his head, while the President's security brought out their guns. He said he called a few people around to push Osei's vehicle off the road and went for a stone to mark the point of impact before moving the vehicle. Constable Frimpong said he then called the office to bring a towing vehicle to tow the President's vehicle and the VW Golf which was affected by the accident. During cross-examination, he said when he heard about the moving vehicle, Osei's car was almost by him and that he would not know whether the traffic lights were showing green or not, since he had stopped all vehicles from moving. The witness disagreed with counsel that the accused, after the incident, exclaimed, "Who is this crazy driver?" He also said he was not aware that after the incident security at the point where the accident occurred had been beefed up with soldiers and policemen. He agreed with counsel that sirens were used by other vehicles and so using them was not automatic that the President was passing by. Source:Daily Graphic