Fourth accused in Akua Donkor robbery case to cross examine witness
The defence counsel for the second and third accused persons in the robbery case against Madam Akua Donkor, the Founder of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), on Tuesday ended cross of the forth prosecution witness.
The forth prosecution witness, Sergeant Jonas Gabriel, during the cross examination told the court that when he visited the crime scene during his investigations and found the vehicle of the complainant there.
He said no exhibits were retrieved from the scene, and he did not also find anything incriminating over there.
He told the court that during interrogation he found out that while in the complainant’s vehicle Opoku Agyemang called Banabas on phone, and he (Banabas) put the phone on speaker so the conversation was loud.
The witness who is also the investigator in the case said he later found the complainants bag, together with an amount of $4,900.00 money, jewellery, voters ID card pictures among others in a nearby bush.
When asked whether he asked the complainant where she got the money from and where she changed it, Sergeant Gabriel replied in the negative.
He told the court that he took two statements from the accused thats caution and charge statements from Opoku Agyemang and Banabas in the presence of independent witnesses.
He said he took the statements in English and Twi, and read it over to them.
The defence counsel for the two ended his cross examination and the case was later adjourned to June 7, for first and forth accused persons to cross examine the witness.
The court also ordered the prosecution to come along with their next witness on the next adjourned date.
The accused persons are Yakubu Yusif, trader and Central Regional Chairman of the GFP; Banabas Kayase, her driver and secretary of the party; Opoku Agyemang, trader and Abdul Razak Shaibu, a member of a GPRTU Task Force.
Two others, Joe and Nuamah aka Lion, are currently on the run. The accused persons are on remand.
The prosecution said on that the day, Akua together with Yusif and Kayase were on board her vehicle – a Mitsubishi Pajero with registration number GT 6028-16 – from Taifa heading towards the Kotoka International Airport to catch a flight to the United States of America.
Chief Superintendent Duuti Tuaruka, prosecuting, said on December 30, 2016 at Taifa in Accra, the six persons conspired to rob Madam Akua Donkor.
The prosecutor said the accused persons at about 02:30 hours at Sowutuom, a suburb of Accra, robbed Madam Donkor at gunpoint and snatched her travelling bag containing plane ticket, Ghanaian passport, voter ID card, $30,000 and GH¢3,000.00.
“Akua decided to pass home and on reaching Sowutuom immediately after the Agbeve Herbal Clinic area, Opoku called Kayase on phone and asked where they have reached while Razak, Joe and Lion were waiting to execute their agenda,” Chief Supt Tuaruka told the court.
He said the three, armed with guns on board an unregistered motorbike, appeared behind the vehicle, and “as soon as Kayase spotted the armed men, he reduced the speed of the car, showing double hazard indicators that the complainant was in the car.”
Kayase, according to the prosecutor, parked the vehicle and the armed men attacked the complainant with guns and took the monies and items and then dragged her from the vehicle and escaped with the booty.
The prosecution said on December 31, 2016, Razak was arrested when he was called by Yusif to come for his share of the booty.
When Razak was searched, $4,900 was retrieved from him.
He said upon interrogation Razak admitted the offence and mentioned Joe and Nuamah as his accomplices.
He said that after the operation, they shared the monies and threw the bag into a nearby bush at Anyaa.
He led the police to retrieve the bag.
Source: GNA