Andoh puzzled by arrest

By Kathryn Reed

John Andoh was arrested two days ago. No one argues that point. But the South Lake Tahoe Police Department won’t let Andoh have a copy of the police report.

“I didn’t have any idea of what the charges were until I got to the county jail,” Andoh said the day after he posted bail. “I went to the police department on Thursday to get the police report and they wouldn’t release it me. They said they sent it to the district attorney because they are pressing charges. The district attorney’s office said wait until court or go back to the police department.”

Andoh, 29, was arrested at 12:30am Thursday on a warrant that had been issued Sept. 24 in regards him allegedly lying to officers about a traffic collision he was involved in Sept. 4.

The odd part is that Andoh, who runs the South Shore public transit system called BlueGo, was at the special City Council meeting Sept. 29 that addressed the budget for 2009-10.

At the meeting were South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Terry Daniels, Capt. Martin Hewlett, Lt. Marty Hale and another uniformed officer.

Why Andoh was not apprehended then is unknown. Why he was arrested the day before his contract was on the agenda on of the South Tahoe Area Transit Authority is unknown — or perhaps merely coincidental.

In an era where race is a hot topic, one hates to think that has a role in the matter.

The transportation board chose to postpone taking action on his contract at Friday’s meeting.

“We had some discussion on the employee policies manuals we were going to consider (Friday) in the contracts. It was brought up by all the public agency members that the legal counsel for El Dorado County, Douglas County and the city had not had a chance to fully review either of the documents,” said Rick Angelocci, South Lake Tahoe assistant city manager and vice chair of STATA. Chairwoman and Douglas County Commissioner Nancy McDermid was absent from the meeting.

Andoh’s contract and that of the finance person are scheduled to be discussed at the Nov. 6 meeting.

Andoh said he is at a loss as to why a warrant was ever issued. He plans to retain legal counsel to fight the charges.