Five Alleged Bullion Van Robbers Remanded
Four members of a five-member alleged bullion van robbing syndicate have been remanded by the Accra Circuit Court.
The accused persons, namely, Kofi Afoakwa, alias Not Nice and Kofi Rasta; Yaw Afoakwa, alias Dadesen, a driver and brother of Kofi Rasta’s; Kingsley Lawani, alias Benin Boy, and Isaac Oppong, a mechanic, were said to have acted together with two others, now deceased, to rob Antis Company Limited of GH¢22,044.00 on October 27, 2009.
Their most recent attack was the October 27, 2009 one in which the gang attacked Antis Company Ltd at Agbogba, where a policeman’s AK 47 rifle was snatched.
The fifth member of the syndicate, 70-year-old Joe Babanawo Dotse, who is believed to be the spiritual father of the syndicate, was granted bail in the sum of GH¢20,000 with two sureties, both to be justified.
The court, presided over by Mr Justice Senyo Dzamefe, ordered Babanawo, who was granted bail on health grounds, to report himself once a week to the investigator of the case.
A sixth member of the alleged robbery gang, Stella Murphy, who is a girlfriend of Kofi’s, was remanded with the four others to reappear on January 19, 2010.
Kofi Afoakwa was spotted with a metal fitted in his left arm after receiving treatment from bullet wounds.
The six have been variously charged with conspiracy, robbery and abetment of crime. Their pleas have not been taken.
The prosecutor in the case, Mr Paul Abariga, told the court that more arrests had been made and for that reason the court should remand the accused persons to enable the prosecution to come up with more comprehensive facts on the next adjourned date.
However, counsel for Babanawo prayed the court to grant his client bail on the grounds that the accused person had to attend hospital virtually on a daily basis.
Counsel further assured the court that the accused person would avail himself for trial when granted bail.
The court enquired from the investigator whether the accused person attended hospital daily, to which the investigator answered in the affirmative.