Oda police worried over bail to alleged criminal

The Akyem Oda Divisional Police Command is demoralised by the granting of bail to a suspected fraudster and armed robber, Nicholas Kwame Adjei, by courts in Takoradi and Akyem Swedru.

Adjei, 34, is suspected to have attacked a petrol filling station in Takoradi at gunpoint on two occasions this year and taken away huge sums of money.

When Adjei was arrested and granted bail, he absconded and went to Oda where he defrauded a petrol filling station manager, Mr Charles Kwasi Asare, of GH¢56,997.

Briefing the Daily Graphic at Oda yesterday, the Oda Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent James Sarfo-Peprah, said in June  2013, Adjei, who is based in Takoradi, discussed with Mr Charles Kwasi Asare, the possibility of transacting business with him.

He said Adjei bought a quantity of petroleum products worth GH¢56,997 on credit to sell in his home town, Akyem Kokobeng, near Oda, and used his Toyota pickup vehicle and the documents of five other vehicles as collateral.

Chief Supt. Sarfo-Peprah said after collecting the petroleum products, he diverted them to Takoradi where he sold them at a reduced price of GH¢40,000, pocketed the money and went into hiding.

He said on August 11, 2013, the police had information that Adjei was attending a funeral at Akyem Kokobeng so the police arrested him.

The Divisional Police Commander stated that the suspect was arraigned before the Akyem Swedru Circuit Court presided over by Mr Yaw Atta Sampong last Monday, which granted him bail in the sum of  GH¢50,000, with two sureties to be justified. He was scheduled to reappear before the court on August 26, 2013.

He said further investigations by the Oda Divisional Police Command revealed that Adjei was a notorious armed robber who was on the wanted list of the police in Kwesimintsim. According to Chief Supt. Sarfo-Preprah, Adjei was arrested by the Kwesimintsim police and remanded in prison custody for attempting to seize an articulated truck from its driver.

He said around 8.30p.m. on April 26, 2013, Adjei and an accomplice called John Koomson, a driver resident at Anaji near Takoradi, drove their Nissan pickup to the  Oando Petrol Filling Station at Apremdo and started firing warning shots indiscriminately.   Adjei, who was wearing a military uniform and armed with a gun and a machete, confronted Michael Opoku, a fuel attendant, and asked of the whereabouts of one Alhaji Issaka, but Michael replied that he did not know where he was.

Chief Supt. Sarfo-Preprah said Adjei suddenly pulled out a pump action gun and ordered Michael to hand over all the money he had on him or lose his life. The accused then slapped Michael and rushed on one Alhaji Abass Ahmed, a driver who was buying fuel, and demanded his ignition keys. Out of fear, Abass surrendered the keys.

According to Chief Supt. Sarfo-Peprah, on April 27, 2013, John Koomson drove Adjei in the pickup vehicle again to the same filling station at Apremdo and without any provocation, Adjei slapped an attendant, Sumaila Issaka, and  when he retaliated, Adjei pulled out a pistol and attempted to shoot Issaka.

He said Issaka boldly knocked Adjei and the pistol fell down. Issaka picked up the pistol and rushed to the Kwesimintsim Police Station to lodge a complaint, leading to the arrest of the accused.

Chief Supt. Sarfo-Peprah said when Adjei's pickup was searched, one pump action gun loaded with 13 cartridges and 23 empty shells were found.

He said the two men were therefore arraigned but the court granted them bail. They jumped bail and went to Oda where Adjei committed another serious crime and was arrested.

By Samuel Kyei-Boateng/Daily Graphic/Ghana