Robbery case involving six police men suspended

Accra, April 8, GNA - An Accra Circuit court has adjourned to April 22 hearing of the case in which six policemen and five others have been charged for robbing a Ghanaian businessman of 53,000 dollars and other personal belongings in a hotel at Dzorwulu, Accra. The adjournment was at the request of Ms Cynthia Lamptey, Chief State Attorney, who pleaded with the Circuit Court to give her time to put things in order.

She said the case had just been assigned to her and she would need time to study the docket.

The accused are Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Kwapong, Chief Inspector Thomas Adu, Sergeant John Adjapong, Corporal Lawrence Dennis Quansah, Lance Corporal Karim Muntari and Constable Benjamin Blejumah. The rest are Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi aka Kwame Tawiah and Bismark Ampofo. They are being held for conspiracy. Apart from DSP Kwapong, the rest are facing additional charge of robbery. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and have been remanded into custody.

The facts are that Aams Amanor had been known to the complainant, Mr Kweku Duah, when they were in Switzerland. Sometime last year, Mr Duah told Amanor he wanted to come to Ghana to buy gold and Amanor opted to assist him. Mr Duah arrived in Ghana on February 1 and checked into Relax Court Hotel at Dworwulu in Accra and got in touch with Amanor who briefed him about the supposed suppliers of the gold. On February 2 at about 2200 hours, Amanor and Jeffery, now at large, who was armed with a pistol, accompanied by Gyasi, and a Nigerian now at large, went to the hotel room of Mr Duah under the pretext of transacting the gold business. The said business was to take place between the complainant and Jeffery.

Before the meeting, Jeffery and the Nigerian had arranged with Amanor, who had also instructed Chief Inspector Adu, Sergeant Adjapong, Corporal Quansah and a soldier, who is at large, to go to the hotel. When they got to the hotel, they met Lance Corporal Muntari, Constable Acheampong and Constable Blejuamah. They broke into Mr Duah's room and Jeffery pulled out a pistol on Mr Duah who they beat until he started bleeding in the nose. The attackers later searched Mr Duah and took away two envelopes containing 53,000 dollars, 800 Euros and GH¢2,000. They also ransacked Mr Duah's room and took away a black bag containing two walkman CD players, a digital camera valued at 4,000 dollars; two bunches of keys and a Standard Chartered Bank cheque book. The accused persons arrested the complainant and later abandoned him at Tema.