Police worried over lawyers aiding robbers

The Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Christian Tetteh Yohuno, has expressed concern about some lawyers who aid armed robbers to secure their freedom after they have been arrested by the police.

He said oftentimes, the freed robbers became hardened, a development that endangers the lives of the police personnel who arrested them and their informants.

DCOP Yohuno was speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra at the weekend.

He cited many instances when armed robbers who were granted bail with the assistance of legal advisors vented their spleen on police personnel and their informants.

DCOP Yohuno specifically mentioned the case of a late armed robber, Kwabena Takyi, who was granted bail through the help of a lawyer in Accra and travelled to Kumasi to murder Inspector Nyame, who was handling another armed robbery case against him (Takyi).

DCOP Yohuno said Takyi was arrested in Kumasi for snatching a fleet of cars, including a 4x4 vehicle belonging to a Ghanaian professional footballer resident in America.

He said when Takyi was searched, he had two foreign pistols on him, but was granted bail with the help of the lawyer he had engaged for five years, jumped bail and went ahead to snatch about 20 4x4 vehicles within a period of six months.

According to DCOP Yohuno, when the criminal was granted bail, he took refuge in Accra, recruited more armed robbers, went with them to Kumasi to kill Inspector Nyame and returned to Accra after the murder.

The regional police commander said ultimately, the police pursued Takyi to Kumasi and he died in an exchange of fire between the police and a group of armed robbers.

Citing another instance, he said recently a suspected armed robber, known as Olenge, was arrested by the police for robbing a forex bureau at Tema and put before court.  The suspect engaged as many as 12 lawyers to defend him against one State Attorney.

'Where did the unemployed, young criminal and his accomplices get huge sums of money to engage as many as 12 lawyers?' DCOP Yohuno asked.

He noted that the actions of the armed robbers and their lawyers were calculated to intimidate the State Attorneys and investigators, adding that they also put fear in witnesses who testified in court.

DCOP Yohuno said eventually, the criminals secured their freedom and returned home more violent.

He also talked about the notorious bullion van robbery case at Agbogba in Accra in which Dadesen, Drop Am, Not Nice, Awudu, Isaac, Benin Boy and Thunder, who wielded AK 47 assault rifles, engaged the police in an exchange of fire, which resulted in the deaths of Awudu, Thunder and Drop Am.

DCOP Yohuno said Not Nice, who sustained gunshot wounds, was arrested at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and he led the police to arrest Isaac and Dadesen at Ashaiman, from whom an AK47 assault rifle was seized.

He said the three robbers confessed to the police in written statements but they engaged the services of lawyers, who told them to deny the statements they had given to the police.

DCOP Yohuno noted with regret that the case had been pending in court for over three years now and asked, 'where did the criminals get money to engage lawyers for such a long period?'

By Samuel Kyei-Boateng /Daily Graphic/Ghana