Trial of former police constable to start on July 22

Cape Coast, July 17, GNA- A Cape Coast High Court on Thursday fixed Tuesday July 22, for definite hearing of the case in which Armah Schandorf, a former police constable together with five others, charged with armed robbery.

The cashier of the Anomabu beach resort, Mr. Matthew Mensah was killed in the robbery.

Schandorf, Samuel Ghartey, a driver and Emmanuel Oduro, a security man, both employees of the resort, Kwesi Fosu and Daniel Owusu, have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and robbery.

They were all remanded in custody and Mr. Maxwell Acquah, an employee of the University of Cape Coast, has been appointed as the foreman of the seven-member jury for the trial.

A Principal State Attorney, Mr. Isaac Otchere-Antwi told the court, that he was hopeful the case would be disposed of before the legal year ends, on July 31 since all the prosecution witnesses have been contacted and were ready to attend court.

Prosecuting, Mr. Otchere-Antwi, told the court that Ghartey and Oduro hatched the plan to rob the resort sometime in December last year, and sought the assistance of Schandorf who normally performed night guard duties at the resort.

He alleged that Schandorf then travelled to Accra on April 27, where he contacted Fosu, who in turn introduced Addai as "an expert in robbery operations" and that Schandorf and Addai returned to Anomabu that same day at about 10.30pm.

Schandorf, Ghartey and Addai then held a meeting in Ghartey's room where they planned how the operation would be executed, and it was agreed that Schandorf and Addai, should attack the cashier on his way to the bank.

The State Attorney alleged that the following morning, Schandorf and Addai who had earlier smoked Indian hemp and drank some Guinness, laid ambush near the resort.

He said at about 8.15 am when the resort's vehicle, was on its way to the bank with Mr. Mensah, they emerged from the bush, and Ghartey who was behind the wheel, stopped the car and Mr. Mensah was attacked.

Addai threw pepper into the cashier's eyes, while Schandorf, who was wearing a mask, attempted to snatch the money from him, and in a struggle, the cashier managed to remove the mask, and realising that he had been exposed, Schandorf shot him twice in the chest with a police SMG gun.

He further alleged that Schandorf then proceeded to collect an amount of 9.8 million cedis Mr. Mensah was carrying together with two cheques totalling six million cedis and Ghartey drove them to Waakrom junction near Anomabu where he and Addai alighted.

He then drove Mr. Mensah who was then critically wounded, to the police check point at the Moree junction and told the policemen on duty that armed robbers had attacked them.

Ghartey was advised by one of the policemen on duty to send Mr. Mensah to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at the Central Regional Hospital, and Ghartey went on to lodge a compliant at the regional police headquarters.

Schandorf was arrested upon a tip off, and more than 300,000 cedis stained with blood, were found in his boots and pockets of his police uniform, together with the cheques, when he was searched. The rest of the men were arrested after further investigations Mr. Otchere-Antwi added.

In his explanation, Addai told the court he took part in the planning and execution of the robbery, with the understanding that no weapons were to be used and that the cashier, was only to be tied up. Counsel for Oduro, Mr. Gustav Addington, had earlier asked for bail for his client, because "he was innocent", but the court refused.