From left: Corporal Bernard Tsagli (soldier), Lance Corporal
Samuel Asamoah (police) and Crosby Ofori Danso
A soldier, police and civilian have been arrested by the Accra Regional Police Command for their alleged involvement in robberies in Accra.
The soldier, Corporal Bernard Tsagli, 39, and the police Lance Corporal Samuel Asamoah, 33, were interdicted for their alleged involvement in similar robbery cases for which they were hauled to court and granted bail last year.
The civilian, who was arrested with the two, is Crosby Ofori Danso, a 41-year-old unemployed.
They went on the robbery spree after they were granted bail by the police, according to the police.
Prior to their respective interdictions, the soldier was attached to quarter master stores of the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, whereas the policeman was with the Kasoa Divisional Police Command in the Central Region.
Modus Operandi
According to the Greater Accra Regional Police Command, the suspects usually trail victims, who go to the bank to withdraw money and accost them on their way home.
The suspects in uniforms would falsely accuse and arrest the victims, who have withdrawn huge sums of money from the bank and claim they had committed an offence and put them in a waiting taxi.
On the way, the suspects would pull a gun on the victims and rob them of their money.
Facts of Case
Acting Accra Regional Police Commander Deputy Commissioner of Police, (DCOP) Kwaku Boadu Peprah, said the arrest was made yesterday around 11:30am based on police intelligence at Galilea at Weija.
He said police received a complaint from victims of their activities and through police intelligence, they were nabbed yesterday.
DCOP Kwaku Boadu Peprah revealed that the three suspects were arrested in March 2018 for the same offence and put before court.
“The court granted them bail two months ago after being placed in police custody for close to a year only to be re-arrested for another offence of robbery,” he disclosed.
He said checks by police revealed that the two security personnel were interdicted by both the police and the military while on trial.
“Presently, they are not serving as security personnel, but we will keep them in our custody to assist in our investigation,” he added
Victim Speaks
Meanwhile, one of the victims, who is a taxi driver and helped to arrest the suspects, told DAILY GUIDE how he came to know them.
He said on Friday, April 26, the three suspects met him at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Accra, and after introducing themselves as police officers, they hired his services to help effect an arrest of a suspect at Nima Junction.
Bank Move
He said upon reaching a bank along the Ring Road, the suspects asked him to stop while they waited for the supposed ‘suspect’ whom they claimed was withdrawing money from the bank.
The victim said shortly afterwards, a man holding a brown enveloped came out of the banking hall and so he was asked to trail him to his location.
“The moment we got to Nima gutter, the three men accused the man of peddling in drugs and pushed him into my taxi.
“People around wanted to intervene, but the three men identified themselves as policemen and ordered me to drive towards Teshie Police Station, but on the way, they asked me to branch towards Burma Camp area,” he narrated.
Rambo Style
He said “an amount of GH¢2,500 was robbed from the victim at gunpoint and when they got to an obscure location at Nkrumah Flat area, they pushed the man out of the car.”
“Upon seeing the gun, I began to shiver and so one of them pointed a gun at me and took charge of the vehicle.”
“They then drove me all the way to Gbawe Zero area where they got down and asked me to go after taking my license with my contact written at the back.”
Police Intervention
“I reported the matter to the police, and on Sunday morning I received a call from the suspects, who wanted to know if I had reported the matter but I answered in the negative.
“They then told me that they have reserved my share of the money and further asked me to prepare for another operation,” he said.
He revealed that the police told him to feign interest in the next operation.
According to the taxi driver, the suspects called him for another ‘operation’ and said on their way to Cape Coast the police apprehended them at Galilea Junction.
Previous Schemes
The three suspects were on March 27, 2018, arrested by the police for robbing people who had gone to the banks to withdraw money.
According to police reports, they mainly operated at Abeka Lapaz, Spintex Road, Abattoir and other parts of Accra.
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey