Courts discharges labourer for want of prosecution

An Accra Circuit Court on Wednesday struck out the case of robbery involving Mawuli Kofi, alias Mandela, labourer, for want of prosecution.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Patrick Morkeh told the court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, that prosecution was unable to get their witness to testify in the case.

“From all indications l have seen that the complainant is not willing to press charges against the accused person,” he added.

The judge said the accused person has been in prison custody for the past 26 months and with the current developments, he needed to be discharged.

DSP Morkeh told the court that the complainant in the case is a trotro driver, while the accused person is a labourer and an ex-convict.

He said on March 24, 2013 at about 0300 hours, complainant run out of fuel and parked, his vehicle along the Dome pillar two road with his wife sleeping in it.

The prosecution said the complainant together with the wife was suddenly woken up by an unusual hitting of the vehicle by the accused person and one other person with cutlasses in hands.

He said the accused person and his accomplice threatened the complainant and eventually robbed them of cash amount of GH¢ 776, lady’s hand bag containing NVTI certificate, NHIS card, National identification card, two mobile phones and other personal effects.

He said on the same day at about 2100 hours, the complainant and his wife were on their usual runs and stopped at Saint John’s bus to pick a passenger when the accused joined the vehicle.

“The couple noticed the accused person as the one, who attacked and robbed them the previous night,” he added.

He said the stolen phone was seen with him in the vehicle but when the complainant decided to drive to the Achimota mile 7 police to lodge a complaint, the accused threw the phone away.

The prosecution said a SIM card retrieved from the accused person was identified to belong to the complainant’s wife.