Kwei Quartey - Murder at Cape Three Points

“Because he wanted the biggest impact, I suppose,” Dawson said. “He knew the penalties imposed on a UK company for corrupt practices in foreign countries are severe, so he was sending the article to where it really counts. From the Times it would immediately be picked up here in Ghana-all over the world, actually, especially online. But let’s go back to the beginning and work our way forward to this article. Say I’m Tetteh of Goilco and you are Charles of Malgam. We’ve known each other since the beginning of the discovery of oil in Ghana, say, five years-or maybe even before that.”

“Okay,” Chikata said, nodding.

“Formerly,” Dawson continued, “I was an employee of an oil company in Texas, but now I’m back in Ghana and I want to work for the state-owned oil corporation, Goilco. Three years ago, I became CEO, and I’m passionate about making it a world-class oil and gas company. I’m determined to do it. I want to leave that legacy, right?”

“Right,” Chikata agreed.

Dawson got to his feet and paced a few steps back and forth. “However, after looking into way the previous CEO ran the company, I’m finding waste, redundancy, missing reports, missing money, and above all, evidence of bribery and corruption. I dig further, and I find this goes wider, deeper, and higher than I’d imagined, and I’m shocked to find that Malgam Oil is paying off people at all levels of government to maximize oil profits and avoid being regulated. So now, what should I do?”

“Well, you-Tetteh-know me very well,” Chikata said slowly, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, “or maybe we are quite good friends and you need to talk to someone. I’m in Takoradi, and you’re in Accra, so you text me from there asking to meet me to talk about this because you’re worried.”

“Good,” Dawson said, aiming an approving finger at the sergeant. “When you come down from Takoradi, we meet up, and I tell you everything I’ve found out about this rampant corruption. You, Charles, probably didn’t know anything about it-or maybe you did. In any case, you are horrified that I’m thinking of making these allegations public. To you, this would be a disaster. You advise me not to go further, but I’m determined to do it. By phone and email, you try repeatedly to get in touch with me to warn me. You take me as a friend, but you’re also a Malgam employee, so your ultimate allegiance is to your company, your boss, Roger Calmy-Rey.”

“So I’m going to report to him everything you’ve told me.”

“Yes,” Dawson said emphatically. “By all means, you have to make Calmy-Rey aware of such a serious threat to him and his company.”

“Then Calmy-Rey is now the one who has the motive to kill you-Tetteh.”

“Good, but he’s not the only one,” Dawson said with a slight smile. “Terence Amihere is also a target. Allegedly, he has taken a bribe of at least two hundred thousand dollars, which is very serious.”

“How does Amihere come to find out about the allegations in the article you’ve written?”

“Because I-Tetteh-go to personally confront him.”

“Do you think Tetteh would really have done that?”

Dawson nodded with conviction. “No doubt. Think about the kind of man he was. Straightforward, direct, honest, and incorruptible. He sacked the people in Goilco that he found out were taking bribes. He wouldn’t have been diplomatic about this. He would have challenged everyone he believed to be involved in corruption. It was a brave move, but it also got him murdered.”

“I can see how that could happen,” Chikata said, “but what about Charles Smith-Aidoo? Where do he and his wife fit in?”

“I have always believed that their murder was connected to Tetteh’s,” Dawson said, taking his seat again. “Now I think I know what happened. After Tetteh’s death, Charles must have taken up the cause against corruption. What Tetteh had told him had begun to weigh on his mind. Once Charles began this crusade, whoever killed Tetteh had to get rid of Charles as well. And the message delivered to the Malgam oil rig in the form of a terrible double murder and beheading was, ‘Don’t even think about challenging the powers that be.’ ”

“Why kill Fiona Smith-Aidoo as well?”

“That wasn’t the original plan. The killer or killers weren’t expecting Fiona to accompany her husband to Ezile Bay.”

“So who killed them or had them killed?”

“I don’t know,” Dawson said, suddenly feeling weary. “Tomorrow we’ll think again when our brains are fresh.”

THEY HAD TO GET some sleep. Chikata, like Baah, was out within a few minutes, but Dawson, exhausted but bereft of sleep, lay awake on the horrendous mattress, which was giving him a backache. His phone buzzed, and for some reason he thought it might be Christine, but he was wrong. It was Armah. Dawson leapt out of bed as he answered.

“Hello, Daniel!”

“Darko, my dear man, how are you?”

“I’m very well,” he said, opening the door to step outside. “Hold on a moment. I want to go somewhere I can talk.”

“I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No, I couldn’t sleep.”

“I had the feeling. I saw that you had called and took the chance you were awake. Are you troubled?”

Armah and Dawson had that kind of bond where one could almost sense the other’s worry from hundreds of miles away. During Dawson’s childhood, then CID detective Armah had doggedly investigated the disappearance of Dawson’s mother, Beatrice.

“I am troubled,” Dawson said, walking around to the opposite side of the building where the potent ammonia smell of the latrine was less pervasive. He told Armah the story from the beginning, bringing him up to the minute.

“Now I’m starting to have doubts,” Dawson said, kicking a large pebble away. “How big is this affair with Tetteh, and should I delve further? Is Amihere or someone else going to come after me, or my family? What if the BNI director has conspired with someone high up in the police service? If I’m going up against them, they’re going to crush me.”

“Hmm, this is tough,” Armah said. He paused for a while. “I don’t think you or your family are in any danger yet, so what we need to do is keep it that way. First you need to go immediately to Chief Superintendent Lartey.”

“He’s going to explode,” Dawson said.

“Maybe, but it can’t be helped. He has to know about this now.”

“I almost hate to pose the question, but no way he could be involved in a cover-up?”

“I can practically guarantee that,” Armah replied. “He wouldn’t have assigned this case to you if he was, and he certainly wouldn’t have included Chikata in the investigation. And in any case, it’s not only you in the thick of this, Lartey’s beloved nephew is involved as well, so he has to take action over the information.”

“Okay,” Dawson said, feeling better.

“Now if at any time you receive a threatening note or phone call, you’ll know it’s the BNI director because that’s the way he operates,” Armah said with confidence. “Then you know it’s time to get out. You’re deeply dedicated to your work, but don’t sacrifice yourself. You have a family you love and who loves you. If you receive threats, call me immediately, because I have some options. We can discuss them if and when the situation comes up, but I don’t think it will. How does that sound?”

“Thank you, Daniel.” Dawson felt his eyes pricking. “I miss you. I have to get up to Kumasi soon.”

“You really must. Talking on the phone is not enough, and as for all this texting you young guys like to do, I will not abide by it.”

They had a good laugh and bid each other good night. Dawson returned to the stuffy, smelly room, and to his surprise, he felt himself drifting off very quickly.