… As court remands 5 over abetment, robbery
Five persons including police constables, who allegedly took part in different robbery attacks on bullion vans in Accra, one of which led to the death of Constable Emmanuel Osei, appeared before the Accra Circuit Court yesterday charged with abetment and robbery.
Constables Yaro Afisu Ibrahim, Albert Ofosu, Richard Boadu, Rabiu Jambedu and Razak Alhassan, a scrap dealer and fifth accused, had been remanded in police custody and would appear again on March 28.
Their plea had not been taken by the court presided over by Mrs Patricia Amponsah.
Appearing before the court presided over by Mrs Amponsah, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sylvester Asare said “we do not intend to take their plea because the case is still under investigation and taking their plea will hamper our investigations.”
DSP Asare said in 2021, the Ghana Police Service recorded series of street robberies as well as attacks on bullion vans.
The court heard that the police mounted surveillance on the suspected person, however, on February 22, 2022, the police received a report of another attack on a bullion van at North Kaneshie, a suburb of Accra, by some gunmen.
He said the police arrested Constable Reindolph Gyimah Ansah alias Pablo (deceased).
He said “further enquiries led to the arrest of Lance Corporal (L/Cpl.) Stephen Nyame (also deceased).
DSP Asare told the court that, “the accused persons during interrogation admitted taking part in the multiple Bullion Van robberies recorded in the Greater Accra Region including, the robbery which took place in February 2021 at Kingsway opposite the Freemason Society, Baastona- Spintex road in March 2021, Jamestown-Adedemkpo incident in June 2021 which led to the untimely death of Police Constable Emmanuel Osei.”
DSP Asare said during the investigation the late L/Cpl. Nyame and Constable Ansah mentioned two Nigerians as accomplices and currently on the run and that some of the weapons used in the robberies were with their Nigerian accomplices around Ashiaman.
The court heard that on March 6, 2022, the late L/Cpl.Nyame and Constable Ansah led the police to a suburb of Ashiaman to apprehend the two.
He said “the Ashaiman operation or raid resulted into an exchange of gunshots which later led to the death of two officers.”
BY MALIK SULLEMANA
