All twenty-six (26) accused herdsmen and cattle rearers arrested with arms and ammunition in Kwahu Afram Plains North have been admitted to a bail sum of Ghc100,000 with two sureties each by Koforidua Circuit Court ‘B’ Presided by Her Honour Mercy Adei -Kotei.
This was after their defense counsel, Alex Gyamfi prayed that court grant them bail arguing that, the accused persons were wrongfully arrested by the Anti -Armed Robbery Taskforce.
He said the accused persons had mobilized to join the Donkokrom police embark on a rescue operation for one of their sons kidnapped in the bush when they were arrested.
He said one of the accused persons -Sarki Iddrisu Sambo is a Fulani chief who was wounded in his arm. He said the wound has worsened his already precarious ill health hence requires medical attention.
He further said the accused persons have already spent close to 400 hours in police custody contrary to the 48hrs permissible detention period.
But the Prosecuting officer Kwasi Opare Wiredu pleaded with the court to remand the accused to enable police to conduct further investigation since some of the charges against them are a second-degree felony.
Before the ruling on the bail application, one of the accused persons collapsed in Court and was sent to the hospital.
The Judge granted bail to the accused and adjourned the case to September 20th, 2021.
The accused persons are Sariki Iddrisu Sambo , Issak Ali ,Aliu Waale , Abubakari Mohammed , Umaro Balla, Aliu Umaro, Abubakari Ibrahim , Ibrahim Abubakari, Abdulai Madela and Usumanu Umaro Dandaade.
The rest are Abass Umaro, Waale Sindoh, Mohammed Abubakari, Amadu Issah, Umaro Bawa, Mohammed Abubakari Jamalla, Alhaji Umaro Mohammed , Mohammed Bello, Sulley Usmanu, Abass Ibrahim, Alhaji Umaro Mohammed, Usuman Umaro and Sumani Abubakari.
Facts
The facts of the matter presented by the Prosecuting officer Kwasi Opare Wiredu, a State Attorney are that, On August 29, 2021, at about 1:00pm, the Anti-Robbery operational team at Donkorkrom led by DSP Lovelace Kofi Glago in a joint exercise with personnel from the Donkorkrom Division and District upon tip-off intercepted and arrested the suspects had attempted to escape.
They were onboard Toyota Tacoma pick-up with registration number AW 983-20, Ford Pick Up with registration number GE 7066-11, and motor tricycle with registration number M-21-EN 635, at Donkorkrom Township in front of Glory Oil Filling station.
The task force retrieved one foreign pistol, three locally manufactured pistols, four single-barrel shotguns, 66 live AAA and BB cartridges, eleven 410 cartridges, ten 7.65mm ammunition,17 machetes, and two daggers.
A search was extended to the rooms of suspect Iddrisu Sambo and Issaka Ali at Donkorkrom Zongo and at one of the rooms of Idrissu Sambo which twelve (12) BB cartridges were found.
None of the accused persons was able to produce a document on the weapons and ammunition