Suspect Assane, who did not have legal representation, pleaded not guilty to charges of robbery and illegal possession of a firearm.

He has been remanded in prison custody until August 18, 2023.

Sergeant Kwadwo Otibu-Gyan presented the case to the court, presided over by Mr Felix Datsomor.

The prosecution recounted that the accused had previously been the herdsman responsible for the kraal but had been dismissed by the rancher due to allegations of cattle rustling.

Ambush

According to the prosecution, on June 14, 2023, at approximately 4:30p.m, Assane ambushed the new caretaker as he was returning to the kraal from a nearby community on a motorbike.

The accused, wearing a mask and armed with a locally manufactured gun and a stick wrapped with barbed wire, stepped onto the rider’s path.

“He pointed the gun at the caretaker, demanding the keys to the motorbike,” the prosecutor said.

The prosecution further stated that an unexpected turn of events occurred as the caretaker displayed courage and engaged the accused in a fierce struggle. During the scuffle, the gun discharged, hitting the accused in the chest and stomach.

Escape

Despite his injuries, the accused managed to flee the scene, leaving behind the gun, barbed wire, a bag containing personal belongings, and his Burkinabe national identity card.

“A complaint was lodged with the police, leading to the caretaker, who was also the complainant in the case, receiving assistance from bystanders in apprehending Assane on June 27, 2023.”

He was subsequently handed over to the police. During the investigation, the accused confessed to robbing the caretaker of the motorbike at gunpoint and claimed ownership of the bag, its contents, the gun and the barbed wire found at the scene.

The discharged ammunition was also discovered by the police, and the gun was determined to be unlicensed.

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The suspected armed robbers robbed the first victims of GH¢ 90,000, and the other, Gh¢ 60, 000 and a number of scratch cards.

Owner of both ventures, identified as Mohammed, in an interview explained the robbers entered the shop and started firing warning shots after which they were asked to lie on their bellies.

Once the coast was clear, the armed robbers made their way to the safe and retrieved bags which contained all their sales.

The attack was quite violent, leading to two bystanders sustaining injuries. They were shot in the back and leg respectively, and are receiving treatment at the Nandom Hospital.

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Retrieved from the scene of the attack were five spent shell casings fired from an AK 47 rifle.

The residents lamented the level of crime despite heavy military detachment in the community.

The incident occurred around 11:45 pm Tuesday during which they took away his white Daewoo Matiz car with registration number GW 1808-13 and an undisclosed amount of money.

Listen to Chairman Darkwa narrate his ordeal in the audio above.

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Chairman Darkwa who is a spare parts dealer at Abossey Okai explained to Adom News that he was coming from Accra and upon reaching his junction near Kasoa New Market on the Kasoa-Obom road the armed policemen overtook him and stopped in front of his car.

“They pointed a gun at me, pulled me out and sped off with my car and my entire sales for the day,” the distraught politician narrated.

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He has, therefore, called on the Inspector General of Police to come to his aid by instituting an investigation into the alleged robbery.

The Municipal Chief executive for Awutu Senya East, Michael Mensah, has expressed his shock at the incident and has advised Ghanaians to be vigilant because some policemen are involved in robbery cases.

The three suspects who were former employees of the victim have been identified as Collins Opoku Manu, 21-year-old security man, Eugene Allon Nyame, 19-year-old former security man of the victim, and Michael Opoku, 32-year-old air condition technician and former driver of the victim.

Two others identified only as Michael and Daniel aka Chigah are currently at large and are being wanted by the police.

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Briefing the DAILY GUIDE, Chief Superintendent Faustina Andoh Kwofie, director in charge of the Commercial Crime Unit said, the complainant is a Chinese businessman living at Mamprobi-Bamboi, a suburb of Accra.

The three suspects were the victim’s workers and on July 5, 2018, the complainant had an emergency call and had to travel to Kumasi that same day.

In the night, Collins Opoku Manu allegedly conspired with Eugene Nyame and Micheal and the two others at large, and they broke into the victim’s apartment through the window.

This was after Collins Opoku Manu had locked the security dogs in the house.

They stole two laptop computers, a security box containing a cash sum of $40,000 and GH¢30, 000 and other personal belongings.

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After committing the act, the suspect then set the house ablaze and bolted.

The Ghana National Fire Service, Korle-Bu branch upon hearing the fire outbreak, went to put out the fire after an extensive damage had been caused.

Some of the victim’s items destroyed in the fire were a 32 inches television set, company documents, personal documents, phones, wardrobe with assorted personal belongings and bags, money counting machine, CCTV recorder among others.

Police intelligence led to the arrest of the three suspects from their various hideouts in Accra and Offinso in the Ashanti Region.

A total amount of $6,000 and GH¢4,500 was discovered on Collins Manu, while a total of $7,900 and GH¢11,200 was found on Eugene Nyame.

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An amount of $8,000 and total sum of GH¢1,212 as well as 40 inches smart flat screen television set with Kwese decoder were found with Michael Opoku.

She said the suspects have provisionally been charged with the offence of unlawful entry, stealing and causing harmful damage through arson and have been remanded into police custody for two weeks.

The items stolen included Belinger Composers (Compressor), Allen and Heath 24000 mixer board, TRX 4000 Amplifier, TRX 2500 amplifier, Yamaha E950 keyboard, Yamaha 9000 keyboard, two LCD 32 inches Television, Strong decoder and turner Amplifier.

Bishop Dr Richard Owusu Akyeaw, Founder and General Overseer of the Church, told the Ghana News Agency at Fiapre that at 0600 hrs that day, he had a distressed call from Pastor Kofi Boateng, the Church Administrator, informing him about the incident.

Bishop Dr Akyeaw said he realised upon arrival at the scene that the robbers took advantage of the absence of a private security man employed at the place and entered the Church through the back window by cutting the metal mesh with a very sharp implement they left behind.

He said the security personnel only known as Thomas, initially when interrogated claimed he left the place at about 0530 hrs when the incidence had not occurred.

But upon further interrogation, Bishop Akyeaw added, Thomas confessed following a telephone call from his wife at 0900 hrs on Saturday that one of his children was sick, he left for home at Dumasua, also in Sunyani West and did not return to the site.

He said the matter had been reported to the Police who have visited the scene and commenced investigation into it whilst the private security man had also been arrested by the Police to ascertain their investigation.

Bishop Akyeaw appealed to the general public to assist the Police with information that could lead to the arrest of the culprits to halt such immoral acts in the society.