The suspects
ONE OF the five persons dragged before court for their alleged involvement in the recent bullion van robberies in the country was yesterday discharged by an Accra Circuit Court, following an amendment to the charge sheet by the prosecution.
The prosecution, led by DSP Sylvester Asare, withdrew the old charge sheet and filed a new one, allowing Razak Alhassan, aka Zak, a scrap dealer, to be discharged by the court.
This leaves four police officers who are now facing two charges of attempt to robbery contrary to Section 18(1a) and 149, and abetment of robbery contrary to Section 20(1) and 149 of the Criminal and Other Procedures Act (Act 29) in police custody.
The four, General Constable Yaro Afisu Ibrahim, General Constable Albert Ofosu, aka Cypher, General Constable Richard Boadu, aka Osor and General Constable Rabiu Jambedu, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Lawyers for the accused persons took turns to plead with the court to grant them bail pending trial, assuring the court that the accused persons will show up for the trial when granted bail.
Justin Pwavra Teriwaja, counsel for General Constable Yaro Afisu Ibrahim, told the court that the accused is gainfully employed in the Ghana Police Service and known everywhere, hence he will show up for the trial when granted bail.
He said the accused is not a flight risk, and has people who are willing to stand as sureties for him when granted bail. He further prayed the court to grant him bail with favourable terms.
Eric Ansah Awuah, counsel for General Constable Albert Ofosu, also prayed the court to grant his client bail, arguing that the police have not complained about the accused person not cooperating with their investigations. He said the accused has no reason to interfere with police investigations.
The application was opposed by DSP Asare, who argued that considering the nature of the offence and the punishment that the accused are likely to face when convicted, they will not appear for the trial when granted bail.
He said painstaking investigations are ongoing, and the police are not on a wild goose chase as suggested by one of the defence lawyers, adding that they will ensure justice is done in the matter.
The court, presided over by Her Honour, Patricia Amponsah, in her ruling held that considering the nature of the offence and the likely punishment, she was not convinced the accused persons will appear for the trial when grated bail.
She, therefore, remanded them, and ordered the prosecution to file their disclosures by April 19. The case was adjourned to April 25 for case management conference.
Brief Facts
The brief facts of the case are that the police administration in 2021 recorded series of street robberies, as well as attacks on bullion vans, and on February 22, 2022, the police received a report of an attack on a bullion van with registration number GN 424-14 at North Kaneshie, a suburb of Accra by some gunmen.
It says investigations led to the arrest of Const. Reindloph Gyima Ansah alias Pablo and Lance Corporal Stephen Nyame (both deceased), who both admitted that they took 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; and Jamestown-Adedenkpo incident in June 2021, which led to the untimely death of police Const. Emmanuel Osei.
DSP Asare, reading the facts indicated that the accused, who had specialised weapon training to equip them for functions of the SWAT unit which include escort of bullion van, had agreed with their deceased colleagues and those at large to attack the bullion van with registration number GN 424-14.
He said the accused person on February 22, 2021, during their botched bullion van robbery at North Kaneshie, fired several shots into the bulletproof bullion van in their quest to rob it.
He said further investigations reveled that General Constable Rabiu Jambedu and one suspect at large were those who rode Royal motorbikes which were used on the day of the attack, while Yaro Afisu Ibrahim and General Constable Albert Ofosu, aka Cypher, sat behind the motorbikes and did the firing during the attack.
He added that General Constable Richard Boadu also rode another motorbike and kept watch in the area to ensure the way was clear for his colleagues to undertake the robbery.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak