Cash spills at Circle

A bullion van belonging to Gocrest Security Services, carrying a large amount of money suspected to belong to the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) was Friday looted after it was involved in a motor accident at about 2:00p.m.

The accident occurred at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle near the Vodafone Headquarters in Accra.

A mob besieged the accident scene and looted cash stashed in the van with registration number GW 1847 S moments after it was hit by a Kumasi-bound VIP Yutong bus on the driver's side.

The bus, whose number is not readily known, according to the Accra Regional Crime Officer, Emmanuel Frank Adufati, did not stop after the accident.

A signal has therefore been sent across the various checkpoints on the Accra-Kumasi road to intercept the bus if spotted.

The bullion van was from the ADB branch at Cedi House where it was loaded with huge sums of money and was on its way to Achimota.

When it got to somewhere after the Nkrumah Circle roundabout, towards the Vodafone offices, the VIP bus, in an attempt to over-take it, veered off its lane and hit the van, causing it to topple and somersault.

According to an eyewitness, the bullion van somersaulted four times before landing on the other side of the road, leaving it open with some of the money- bundles of GH¢50 notes scattered on the streets. This attracted onlookers to scramble for the cash.

A taxi driver, Nii Nortey, told Daily Guide that he had witnessed the scramble for the money but within minutes a police reinforcement team came around to secure the scene.

On board the van were a policeman, Corporal Francis Amegbor of the Central Police Station, a cashier and the driver.

The police officer was treated and discharged at the Police Hospital.

The victims had to smash the front windscreen of the van to come out as they were stuck behind the locked doors.

The policeman, in desperation, had to fire warning shots to scare the mob away but that was not enough as the recalcitrant ones bent on looting the van remained until the arrival of a reinforcement team at the scene.

Even though the police officer escaped unhurt, he complained of bodily pains but the driver and the cashier had some bruises.

They were rushed to the Ridge Hospital for treatment.

As at press time on Friday, no one could tell if the cashier and the driver had been discharged or were still on admission.

Police said they could not tell the amount of money the looters took away but were making efforts to get details from the ADB and Gocrest.