One of the two policemen who is facing trial for allegedly making an attempt to rob the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) Bullion Van, says he is starving in police cells.
According to General Lance Corporal Daniel Kissi Abrokwah, the police had failed to give him access to his money to enable him buy food.
He stated that he is not being fed at the Osu Police Station, where he and two others- General Lance Corporal Solomon Elvis Mensah and Hafisu Mohammed, aka Danjuma, a mechanic, are being held for murder.
He told the court, presided over by Stephen Owusu, that he usually begs for food in police cells, a claim the judge described as unfortunate.
Daniel disclosed that his family had also engaged the services of a lawyer for him but has failed to access his account to withdraw some money to pay the lawyer who is demanding half payment.
Mr. Owusu said the issue was about the survival of the accused.
The judge emphatically stated that “the issue is not amusing at all; the treatment meted out to the accused is not fair.’
He stated that the court had also received a letter from a lawyer, who is purporting to be acting on behalf of Danjuma, requesting a copy of the proceedings.
However, DSP Abraham Annor, the prosecutor, said normally when one is in cells, the police feed him or her.
But Daniel retorted with a loud “lie” from the dock to debunk his claim.
He said the police had sent General Lance Corporal Mensah to the hospital and that the case docket had also been forwarded to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
DSP Annor noted the police were fervently working on the ballistic report.
The investigator said the bag which was retrieved from Daniel contains his personal effects and not the essential exhibits needed in the trial.
He said the items were in the custody of one superintend who is currently attending a 10-month course in Italy, claiming that the police were making internal arrangements to address the concerns of Daniel.
Sitting continues on October 31.
The three are before the court over the death of Daniel K. Sarpong, 52, the driver of the GCB Bullion Van with registration number GN 1354-15 during a robbery operation Donkorkrom.
According to the prosecution, the two police officers had the intention to rob the vehicle which travelled to Donkorkrom in the Eastern Region to supply money to the bank.
“The two accused policemen who were on duty at the GN and GCB Banks respectively decided to exercise their plan of robbing the bullion van of any cash it was carrying,” the prosecution stated.
The three on August 16, this year at Mame-Krobo, near Tease in the Eastern Region, reportedly conspired and acted together with a common criminal objective to commit crime to wit murder.
The two policemen have been charged with attempted robbery and murder. Their pleas have not been taken.
Prosecutor DSP Annor disclosed that on the said day, the policemen discussed the plan to rob the van with Danjuma, who is their friend and a cabbie.
He said the policemen waylaid the van at a spot in between Tease and Mame-Krobo each armed with an AK 47 assault rifle at about 10:30am, stressing that Danjuma drove his vehicle towards Ekye Amanfrom to monitor the arrival of the van.
The police prosecutor said about 20 minutes later, Danjuma signaled the policemen, who upon seeing the van opened fire, killing Sarpong while another police guard on board the Van got injured but managed to return fire, compelling the policemen to flee into the bush.
The accused persons called Danjuma who picked them in a bid to escape, and the police mobilized men who managed to arrest the accused persons on board the taxi cab.
Two AK 47 rifles, 23 rounds of ammunition, one cutlass and two metal bars, were retrieved from the taxi.
By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson
jeffdegraft44@yahoo.com