Three given bail in Akyem Oda missing corpse case
Driver before tribunal for posing as a police officer
Five armed robbers in Police grips
Akyem Oda (Eastern Region) 24 August 2001
The Akyem Oda Community Tribunal on Thursday granted 10 million cedis bail each with sureties to three accused persons charged with stealing a corpse from the Akyem Oda Government Hospital Mortuary.
They are George Bansah, former Mortuary Keeper, Anyanbila Ayamba, Watchman and Benjaman Kwadwo Boateng, Nurse.
They are to report every Monday to the Akyem Oda District Police Commander.
The three, who are facing two counts of conspiracy to commit crime and stealing, have all pleaded not guilty and would re-appear on September 7.
The Prosecution’s case was that on August 2, a taxicab travelling from Accra to Oda collided head-on with a Nissan bus travelling from the opposite direction at Akyem Asene and one Kwaku Amparbeng and Naami Tetten were killed.
The bodies of the deceased were deposited in the hospital morgue after post mortem had been performed on them.
On august 4, however, when the mortuary was opened at about 18:00 hours for inspection, Ampabeng’s body could not be traced.
This created suspicions that the body might have been stolen and the matter was reported to the Police and after investigations the accused persons were arrested and charged.
Meanwhile, the Management of the hospital has offered to give one million cedis to anyone, who might give information leading to the recovery of the body.
GRi../
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Accra (Greater Accra) 24 August 2001
A driver who posed as a police detective and extorted 300,000 cedis from a lotto agent was on Thursday arraigned before an Accra Circuit Tribunal.
Joseph Ago who pleaded not guilty to extortion and posing as public officer, was granted a five million-cedi bail with a surety to be justified.
The tribunal chaired by Imoru Ziblim, ordered him to refund 200,000 cedis to Bessah Sofedah, the complainant before September 5, the next adjourned date.
The tribunal heard that on June 19 this year, Ago who introduced himself to Sofedah as a detective stationed at Adabraka Police Station, threatened to arrest him for operating banker-to-banker lotto using unapproved lotto booklets.
The prosecution said, Sofedah pleaded with Ago not to arrest him. Ago eventually agreed to leave him on condition that he paid 300,000 cedis.
Sofedah made a part payment of 200,000 cedis and pleaded with the accused to give him up to June 21 to pay the remaining 100,000 cedis.
The prosecution said Sofedah became suspicious of the man's identity afterwards and went to the Adabraka Police Station to enquire whether Ago was really a detective officer.
Sofedah's fears were confirmed when he was told that Ago was not known as a policeman.
On June 21, the police laid ambush at Sofedah's house and when Ago arrived to collect the rest of the money, he was arrested.
GRi../
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Five armed robbers in Police grips
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 24 August 2001
Five people who attacked a Goil Filling Station at Sampa in the Brong Ahafo Region and stole 59.9 million cedis and some foreign currencies on Tuesday have been arrested.
The suspects who were apprehended in a combined Police/civilian operation were on Thursday remanded in prison custody when they were arraigned before the Sunyani Community Tribunal.
Their plea was not taken and they will appear again on September 27.
They are Philip Kwadwo Tweneboah, 26, driver of a taxi cab used in the robbery, Belo Piere Claverse Mama, 35, an Ivorian and Yaw Biah, also known as Yakubu, 38, leader of the gang from Kumasi.
The others are David Dauda, 27, a Nigerian and Alhaji Dabila Watala, also known as Alhaji Macho, 32 from Sampa.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the region, George Obeng told newsmen that the money was meant for a consignment of fuel to be delivered on Tuesday, August 21.
On Monday, August 20, the owner of the filling station, Alhaji Abdul Rahman, kept the money in a travelling bag and left it with his younger brother Awudu Inusah, the station attendant who sleeps there.
Obeng said around 1.00 a.m., Dabila Watala who is popular in the town came in the company of Belo Piere and requested to use the attendant's kettle "buta". They returned it after some time and left.
Around 2.30 a.m. Inusah heard a knock on the door by some people demanding to buy fuel but he replied that he could not serve them at that hour.
The robbers, armed with pistols, broke into the room and ordered the attendant to surrender all monies on him.
He resisted but they overpowered him, ransacked the rooms and took the money.
Inusah raised the alarm, which attracted people including the police to the scene but the robbers made off in a waiting taxi, which did not have a registration number.
The police, joined by some civilian volunteers pursued the robbers and found the taxi abandoned after an accident on the Seikwa road.
Obeng said the team combed the bush and arrested Tweneboah three kilometres away from the scene of the accident with the bag containing 32,638,000 cedis. Belo Piere was also arrested later about 15 kilometres away with 6,875,000 cedis on him.
Not long after, Biah, who had an Italian-made pistol, was also arrested with 1,478,000 cedis, 90,000 CFA Francs and 200 dollars.
Dauda was arrested on Wednesday with 3,845,000 cedis on him and Watala later in the evening.
The Regional Commander commended the people of Sampa and Seikwa as well as those who offered their vehicles to assist the police to apprehend the robbers.
GRi../
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