The Aflao Circuit Court presided over by Joseph Ofosu Behome has sentenced one Dominic Bimba to a 15-year jail term for illegal possession and trafficking of firearms and ammunition.
The 39-year-old was sentenced on April 12, 2022, after a court process that started in October 2021.
The Prosecutor, Chief Bob Wuda said the convict who was arrested in October 2021 initially lied that he was a Togolese resident in Tokor in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region. However, it was later discovered that he is a Liberian and an ex-convict.
Apparently, he had been convicted in the Republic of Togo in connection with narcotic drugs; for which he served three years in prison. Thus, putting him in the rank of persons known to have committed international crimes.
The Denu Police Commander, ASP Nakoja confirming the conviction explained that on October 27, 21 a team of Police officers from the National Operations Department in Accra, were on patrol duty along the Tokor-Accra portion of the West-African Highway.
During a random vehicle check, they arrested suspect Dominic Bimba, now a convict who was onboard an Accra-bound commercial hiring car.
A search in the luggage of the suspect revealed an American-made Six-Rounds Ruger Revolver Pistol with sixteen .357 Magnum caliber and New York-made BB CAL (4.5mm) Pistol. An accomplice of the suspect later identified as one Oscar managed to escape during the arrest.
The team escorted Dominic Bimba to his residence near St.Paul’s Senior High School at Tokor where an additional 45 live and two spent shells of .357 magnum caliber were retrieved. Three wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp were also collected from the house.
During interrogation, the suspect Dominic Bimba told Police that a Togolese by the name of Louis who is a resident at Asiyeye in Togo contracted him to go and deliver the guns and ammunition to someone in Accra.
Louis had directed that he goes with this (Louis’) junior brother, Oscar (now at large) who knows the recipient of the weapons and ammunition in Accra. After negotiations, Dominic alleged that he charged a fee of Ghc800 to go through with the errand.
After further investigations, he was arraigned.
From Fred Duodu, Denu (k.duodu@yahoo.com