An Accra Circuit Court has remanded seven out of the 11 persons arrested in respect of the disturbances at Nima-Mamobi in Accra.
The seven who were charged with two counts of rioting with weapons and causing harm pleaded not guilty.
While remanding the accused persons, the court presided over by Rosemond Baah Torsu charged the prosecution to expedite investigation into the matter.
The seven accused persons who were present in court are Abdul Gafaru Mahama (A3), Atarouwa Bassam, (A6), Abdul Mumuni Gariba, (A7), Mohammed Saabi Barinu alias Namer, (A8), Bashiru Ganiru, A9, Illiasu Salim, (A10) and Issa Seidu, (A11).
Ali Awudu alias Bombom,( A1) and Ibrahim Hussien alias Kumodzi, (A2), both are at large while Aziz Suleman alias Rambo (A4) and Ibrahim Moro alias Jallo (A5) are on admission at the hospital.
Lawyer Yaw Danquah, counsel for the A10 and A11 while praying for bail, said the wrong people have been arrested and arraigned before the court.
He added that, the right people must be arrested and not innocent ones who are visiting their families.
He argued further that his clients who were arrested in Ashalajah were arrested only because they can speak the Hausa language.
According lawyer Danquah, his clients are pleading alibi because they were not
at the scenes of the incident.
Good Samaritan
Lawyer Seth G. Oware who was with Abdul Latiff while being led by Kofi Bosompen argued that, his client , A9, was a good samariatan who find himself at the wrong place.
He also argued that, at the time of the incident, his client A9, was at home with his family and had received a visitor who had come to learn more about the area.
He contended that, it was his client who offered to use his Mercedes Benz to help some of the victims to the hospital when the ambulance services were not responding to them.
Counsel argued that, it was his client’s attempt to get a police report to enable the victims to be admitted into the hospital that got him arrested.
He told the court that, his client is a businessman and has a fixed place of abode and is not a flight risk.
He said his client also has people to stand sureties for him when granted bail.
Prosecution
The Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey opposed to the grant of bail and argued that, there is so much tension in town which ought to be managed properly.
He also contended that, though the liberty of the accused persons are paramount, the interest of the larger community ought to be protected.
He therefore prayed the court to remand the accused persons into police custody to assist the police with further investigations.
By Court
The court presided over by Rosemond Baah Torsu after listening to the parties said, the accused persons were only arrested three days ago.
He said all the accused pleaded alibi and that ought to be investigated.
To this end, she urged the prosecution to investigate the issue of Alibi and report back to the court.
The accused persons were subsequently remanded into police custody to reappear on February 1, 2022.
Brief facts
According to the facts presented to the court by Chief Inspector Terkpetey, were that, on January 18, 2022 at about 1500 hrs, Police received information that there was an ongoing riot at Nima Gutter involving the usage of arms and other offensive weapons.
He said, a team of armed Police wss quickly dispatched to the location
where very large crowd of people were met at the location.
According to the prosecutor, the names of the first and second suspects Ali Aqudu alias Bombom and Ibrahim Husain alias Kumodzi came up as the leaders of two groups respectively responsible for the riot.
He said, they are however at large during the arrival of the Police.
Rioting
He said, the third suspect was arrested after he was identified to the Police as one of the perpetrators.
“A total of twelve (12) spent
shells were retrieved at the scene. A barbering shop located a few metres was vandalized by the rioters,” he noted.
He said, “a search in the vandalized shop led to the discovery of three (3) AAA life ammunitions, one empty pistol magazine, one life pistol bullet,
one knife and one machete.”
Hospital Admission
Chief Inspector Terkpetey said, a victim Frimpong aged 53, who was about to move his car from the scene was hit by a bullet on his left shoulder and is currently responding to treatment at the Emergency ward, 37 Military Hospital.
He told the court that, suspects Aziz
Suleman alias Rambo and Ibrahim Moro alias Jato who have gone to seek treatment at the Greater Accra Regional Hospital/Ridge were picked up and are currently on admission and under heavy Police guard at the Police Hospital.
He said the A7′ A 8′ and A 9 were arrested at the same hospital after they were identified to
Police.
“Intelligence also led to the arrest of suspects Illiasu Salim and Issah
Seidu at their hideout in Ashalajah, Accra. A search led to the discovery of Military Uniform and pump action gun and same recovered.”