Fresh charges against 3 senior police officers & others

The police has brought new criminal charges against some twelve persons, including three senior police officers, for robbing a businessman off his properties running into thousands of United States (US) dollars, at gun point in a hotel in Accra on February 2, this year.

The current charges of conspiracy and robbery have been leveled against the accused persons, who include DSP Patrick Kwapong, C/Inspr. Thomas Adu, Sgt. John Ajapong, Cpl. Lawrence Dennis Quansah, L/Cpl. Karim Muntari, Const. Ken Duodu Acheampong, currently at large, and Constable Benjamin Blejumah.

The rest are Ams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi a.k.a. Kwame Tawiah, Bismark Ampofo, Jeffery alias Kay, and three others at large.

The accused persons were yesterday re-arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court, after the charges leveled against them were replaced with the new ones.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges, however, the court refused them bail after the prosecution had indicated that investigations were still continuing.

Presenting the facts of the case, ASP George Abavelim stated that the accused persons acted together, and robbed one, Kweku Duah, a Ghanaian resident in Switzerland, on February 2, this year, at a hotel in Accra.

The prosecutor told the court that the 8th accused person, Amanor had known the complainant when they were both in Switzerland, and had discussed with the accused person last year, about the possibility of coming into the country to purchase gold.

ASP Abavelim indicated to the court that the 8th accused person had promised the complainant that he would help him buy the gold when he arrives in the country, adding that the complainant arrived in the country on February 2 this year, and lodged at the Relax Court Hotel at Dzorwulu, a suburb of Accra.

While in the country, the prosecutor noted, the complainant got in touch with Amanor, who in turn informed the people to supply the complainant with the gold.

ASP Abavelim told the court that on February 2 this year, at about 10:00 p.m., Amanor, together with the 12th accused person, Jeffery Alias Kay, who was armed with a pistol, 10th accused person, Peter Kwame Gyasi, and a Nigerian, who is currently at large, went to the hotel where the complainant was lodging, with the guise of transacting the gold business, which had already been arranged.

The prosecution noted that before meeting the complainant, Gyasi, together with the Nigerian, had arranged with 1st accused person, DSP Patrick Kwapong, who in turn instructed 2nd accused person, C/Inspr. Adu, 3rd accused person, Sgt. Ajapong, 4th accused person, Cpl. Quansah and a soldier, currently at large, to go to the hotel.

Additionally, prosecution indicated that when the first group of people went to the hotel, they met a second group of people that included 5th accused person, L/Cpl Muntari, 6th accused person, Constable Acheapong, also at large, and 7th accused person Constable Blejumah.

“Together, they stormed the room of complainant, forcibly breaking down the door,” the prosecutor told the court.

According to him, Jeffery pulled a pistol on the complainant, as the rest assaulted him till he bled from the nose, adding that they searched the complainant, and made away with two envelopes containing US$53,000, GH¢2000, and 800 Euros, which they took from his pocket.

Additionally, the assailants were said to have ransacked the room, and took away a black bag containing two walkman CD players, one digital camera, two bunches of keys and one Standard Chartered bank cheque book, all valued at US$4000.

The Prosecutor then informed the court that the assailants pretentiously arrested the complainant, and later abandoned him at Tema, who in turn reported the case to the police.

The accused persons were subsequently arrested, the prosecutor noted, adding that investigations had disclosed that several telephone conversations transpired between the three senior police officers, Cpl. Quansah, Constable Acheampong, Gyasi, and Jeffery before, during and after the commission of the crime.