Three Cops arraigned for robbery

Three policemen and an accomplice were on Friday arraigned at an Accra Circuit Court for eight counts of conspiracy to commit crime and robbery.

The four, Lance Corporal Robert Fening Amponsah, Lance Corporal Isaac Nimako Yeboah and Lance Corporal Andrew Adu-Poku, all policemen, and one Bright now at large, were alleged to have conspired and robbed various people of an amount of about Ghc10,700.00.

The court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri remanded the accused persons into police custody to reappear on February 12, 2014.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Aidan Dery presenting the facts of the case, told the court that, Robert, Isaac and Andrew were stationed at the Communication, National Protection and Formed police Units respectively while Bright is a supposed informant.

He said for some time now, the police administration has been receiving information from the public of robbery being perpetuated by some members of the service.

He said the report also indicated that the robbers used marked police Nissan patrol vehicles in the execution of the crime.

The prosecution told the court that based on intelligence report, Robert, who is the driver in charge of a service vehicle with registration number GP 3517, was arrested for investigation.

He said Robert in his caution statement admitted the offence and mentioned Isaac and Andrew as his accomplices.

He said Issac was also arrested and he admitted that he, together with Robert and Andrew robbed their victims of Ghc1,500 and Ghc 2,700 in October and November 2013, but however, denied being part of the team that robbed victims on January 11 and 18, 2014.

DSP Dery said in the course of the investigation, it was revealed that the accused persons conspired to commit robbery by playing various roles.

He told the court that Robert used the service vehicle with registration number GP 3517, meant to convey his commander to work, for their operations.

He said Isaac also used the service weapons assigned to him for official duties whenever they embarked on their illegal operations while Andrew procured number plates for the robbery and Bright provided information on the victims.

DSP Dery told the court that it was established that the accused persons on various days went to banks where their victims had gone to withdraw money sent to them by their relatives and friends.

Their modus operandi was to trail the targeted victims when they come out of the banks and board a taxi. They then cross the taxi and arrest both the taxi driver and their target and accuse them of being fraudsters.

The prosecution said the accused persons beat and threaten their victims of being locked up in cells and then prosecuted in court.

He said the accused persons then demand money from their victims, and if they are refused, they forcibly take the money from them, and then drop them off somewhere and speed off.