Two in court for kidnapping

Accra, July 12, GNA - Two persons who kidnapped a six-year-old boy and demanded 50,000 dollars in ransom on Tuesday appeared before an Accra Circuit Court charged with conspiracy and kidnapping. Kenneth Caesar, a student and Ebenezer Otoo, a security man, pleaded not guilty.

Their accomplice, whose name was given as Aaron, is on the run. The Court remanded Caesar into prison custody but admitted Otoo to 200 million cedis bail with two sureties. They are to reappear on July 23.

The case of prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Bennette Sarfo was that at about 1340 hours on June 21, this year, Caesar, who is the complainant's relative picked Otoo in a Mercedes Benz car and they proceeded to the victim's school at Queensland International School at Sakumono in Tema.

The Prosecution said the accused persons picked the victim from the school and sent him to an unknown destination and then rang the complainant that they had kidnapped her son and demanded 50,000 dollars before they would release him.

After bargaining they accepted to take 10,000 dollars and consequently arranged to meet her.

At about 1800 hours on the same day the boy was left at Kiki Saloon in Tema but before the complainant got there the kidnappers had escaped. The accused persons made several phone calls to the complainant threatening her that if she failed to meet their demands by the end of June this year "the worst thing" would happen to her. On July 8, upon a tip off the accused persons were arrested. Caesar in his caution statement admitted the offence and mentioned one Aaron as his accomplice.

The Prosecution said it was making efforts to apprehend the other accomplices.