Trial of Sampa Armed Robbers Begins

Sunyani (B/A Region) -- The trial of six armed robbers who robbed a Goil filing station at Sampa in the Brong Ahafo region on the August 20, 2001, has began at the Sunyani High Court, presided by the supervising High Court judge, Mr. Justice Francis Kusi-Appiah. Five out of the six robbers have been remanded in prison custody, while the sixth, Yahaya is at large.

The five who were remanded are Alhaji Dabila Watara, a.k.a Macho; Yaw Bio, alias Yakubu; Bello Pierre Clavere, an Ivorian national; David Dauda, a Nigerian and Philip Kwadwo.

They all pleaded not guilty to the offence of robbery.

The robbers raided the Goil filing station at Sampa on August 20, 2001 and bolted away with ?59.5 million, $200 and, unspecified amount in C.F.A. But as a result of the bravery of the son of the owner of the station, Alhassan Mohammed, and the people of Sampa and Hane, the robbers were over-powered.

Appearing before His Lordship Justice Appiah, as prosecution witness number one, Alhaji Abdul Rahman told the court that on August 20, 2001, he closed from work at about 8 pm and went to the house.

According to him at about 3 am his younger brother whom he run the station with, now deceased, and informed him that armed robbers wielding guns and other dangerous weapons came and raided the station and went away with ?70 million,$200 and some CFA.

He continued that when the information was broken out to him, he rushed to the scene, but could not do anything than to weep.

At a point the witness could not continue his evidence. He was dazed in the witness box, where upon the Judge ordered a chair and water for him. The court had to be adjourned to enable Alhaji Rahaman to regain his conscious.

Led in evidence by the chief state attorney for Brong Ahafo Region, Mr.Cab Bayuo, Alhaji Rahaman stated that the ?70 million which was in a black bag was to be sent to Sunyani to order fuel the following day.

The bag, according to the witness, was taken away by the robbers with the amount in it, till when the driver of the robbers was arrested that they saw it with only ? 44,771,000 contained in it.

The second witness to appear was Alhassan Mohammed a driver by profession and the son of Alhaji Raham.

According to Mohammed he was at the house sleeping when one Zara came to wake and informed him that robbers had ransacked the filling station.

He told the court that he went to the there and found out that it was true and, therefore, pursued them with a gun.

"Initially I could not know which route to pass because we have three route leading to Sampa town", he told the court, adding, "My mind asked me to take the route leading to Seikwa". He said when he was going he met the night watchman of the Sampa Hospital who told him that the robbers had just passed by.

He continued that he trailed them up to a village called Kumor, where he saw their vehicle in a ditch with its tyres turned upwartds and the lights still on. " I quickly put the light of my car out and turned back to Sampa to inform the police".

He told the court that the DSP at Sampa then detailed his men to go and search for the robbers at the accident scene. Mohammed said that at the time the police and the people of Sampa got there they were nowhere to be found. Later, they were informed that the robbers had been seen passing to a village called Hane.

He told the court that as they were going, one of the robbers stopped their car but the moment he saw the policeman he took to his heels. The policeman then alighted, chased snd arrested him with the bag in which the money was contained. It was only ?34.4 million that was found in it. He was brought to Sampa police station and detained, he told the court.

The Ivorian National was the second person to be arrested at the third time of going to search for the rest. Dauda the Nigerian was arrested next while Alhaji Dabila was arrested at Japekrom.

The victim told the court that various sums of money were retrieved from each of the robbers when they were arrested. The father and the son gave conflicting figures ,such as ?70m and ?59.5 million.