Ini Billie, Uyo
A Police Inspector in the Akwa Ibom State Command has refuted claims that he tortured Nollywood actor, Moses Armstrong in the process of obtaining statement concerning the case of rape levelled against him.Armstrong, who is standing trial for allegedly raping his adopted daughter, had stated in court that the police cajoled, beat and tortured him to obtain his confessional statement in the case.
The officer, who is attached to the Family Support Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Uyo, stated this in her evidence in court on Wednesday as the Investigating Police Officer of the case during the trial within trial before the Akwa Ibom State High Court sitting in Uyo.
The statement was objected to in court when the prosecution counsel from the State Ministry of Justice sought to tender it in evidence in the case between the state against Armstrong.
The police inspector told the court that Armstrong had on June 14, 2022 at about 3 pm, volunteered his statement under caution and asked her “to record it on his behalf because he was not strong enough to write”.
She said, “the statement was recorded in a conducive environment without any form of beating or torture in the presence of other police officers and Armstrong’s Personal Assistant” whom she said, brought food for him at the Police station.
The prosecution witness noted that after recording the accused statement, she read it over to him before he signed the document while she countersigned it, adding that the confessional statement form was endorsed by the Second in Command of the Family Support Unit, who is the second prosecution witness in the matter.
During cross examination, the Officer revealed that she recorded the statement in accordance with the law, but that she did not state the date of commencement and conclusion of her investigation.
After listening to the evidence, the Presiding judge, Justice Ntong Ntong adjourned the matter to April 24, 25 and 26 2023 to expedite hearing and cross examination of the witness.