GRi In Court 02-03-99

Accra, 2 March 

Fourteen persons, including two policemen, who were allegedly involved in the highway robbery of gold worth 2.4 billion cedis at Gomoa Abotsia, near Apam, were on Monday put before a circuit tribunal in Accra.

They pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and robbery of the gold, property of Resolute Amansie Limited at Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.

The tribunal chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson-Yeboah remanded them and asked the prosecution to submit the docket to the Attorney General's Department after investigations.

The accused are Philip Asamoah, Teddy Amevor, both drivers, Eric Boateng, assistant supervisor, J. K. Mensah and Alex Amoako Acheampong, both police constables, Oscar Nkrumah, a supervisor and Emmanuel Wilson, a driver.

Others are Joseph Anane Mensah, a businessman, Jonathan Otumfour Berger, a private detective, Alexander Kwabena Biney and Philip Kudaya, both drivers, Francis Mensah, security guard, Andrews Alexander Inglis, Operations Manager and Godfried Amoako, a security guard.

The prosecution said at about 1530 hours on February 16, this year, a convoy of three vehicles belonging to West Coast Allied Services (WCAS), a private security company, was conveying eight boxes of unrefined gold from Amansie to Accra.

On reaching Gomoa Abotsia, 10 armed robbers dressed in military uniform intercepted the bullion van and made away with the gold leaving the van.

The robbers allegedly seized two other vehicles belonging to AGC Limited and Ghacem Limited which arrived at the scene of the robbery and took away 300 dollars and three million cedis belonging to the driver of the AGC vehicle.

The prosecution said police do not believe the story of the accused persons, which they described as a "ploy".

Hearing continues on April four.

Tamale (Northern Region), 2 Mar. 

A 32-year-old farmer, Salifu Imoro, from Kigbripe village in the West Gonja District, has been sentenced to death by a Tamale High Court for the murder of his mother, whom he suspected to be responsible for the death of his two children.

A seven- member jury found Imoro guilty. He had pleaded not guilty.

The prosecution told the court, presided over by Mr Justice R. T. Aninakwa, that Imoro shot his mother, Jinche Miami in the chest at dawn on February one, 1996 and later buried her at the outskirts of the village.

Imoro said in his defence that although he suspected his mother of the death of his two children under mysterous circumstamces, he did not kill her intentionally.

He said on that fateful day, he saw through a hole from his room a glowing object approaching his house and called out thrice to find out who it was. When he did not hear any response, he picked his gun and shot at the object.

Just afterwards, Imoro said he heard the wailing of a human being and when he got closer with his touch light he found his own mother lying in a pool of blood.

Accused said he did not expect his mother to be in the village because she had told him the previous day that she was travelling to Ejura in the Ashanti Region.

He said he went and informed his uncle about the incident but when they got back, his mother had managed to crawl from the spot to her house about 250 metres away where she died in her room.

He said the family arranged for her burial in the night at the outskirts of the village.

Imoro said he later confessed his crime to the local GPRTU chairman who took him to the chief, who advised them to report to the Police.

Accused failed to make shipment of gold, witness.

Accra (Greater Accra), 2 Mar,

Miss Maria Soccorro Araneta, an American businesswoman, who was duped more than 380,000 dollars in a gold deal, on Tuesday, said 200 kilograms of gold, which was to be shipped to California was never done.

Miss Araneta, first prosecution witness in the case was answering questions under cross-examination by defence counsel in a case in which four persons are alleged to have defrauded her under the pretext of selling gold to her and her business associate, Mr Ron Boyko in California.

Witness said the first accused, Nana Kweku Anim-Addo, received a total of 55,000 dollars from Mr Boyko for the purchase and shipment of the 200 kilograms of gold to him in California.

When counsel for Anim-Addo, Mr Felix Quartey, wanted to know how the transaction was made, witness said through a tele-conference by Mr Boyko, Anim-Addo and one Mr Martin Osae who was known to Mr Boyko in Ghana.

She said it was agreed that Anim-Addo was to make the shipment to Mr Boyko.

Miss Araneta said on January five, this year, she saw a quantity of gold to be shipped to Boyko at Mr Osae's house but she did not know why shipment was not effected.

Witness said she has the power of attorney to pursue the case on behalf of Boyko.

Those on trial with Anim-Addo are Charles Kwabena Kusi, Kofi Edusei, directors of Dredge Masters Company Limited, a mining company and Alhaji Abubakari Marga, a businessman.

They have all pleaded not guilty to five counts of conspiracy, defrauding by false pretences and forgery of documents.

Anim-Addo is on a 300 million cedis bail while the others are each on a 200 million cedis bail.

Hearing continues on Thursday, March four.