Bullion van robbery case adjourned to Oct 3
A Magistrate’s Court in Accra, on Tuesday, adjourned to October 3, the case of the two Police officers involved in the robbery of a bullion van, belonging to the GCB Bank Limited, at Mame Krobo in the Eastern Region.
The court adjourned the matter pending the conclusion of investigations and the forwarding of the duplicate docket to the Attorney General’s Office.
The alleged attack by the officers – General Corporal Solomon Elvis Mensah and General Lance Corporal Daniel Kissi Abrokwa – led to the death of Daniel K Sarpong, the driver of the bullion van.
The other accomplice in the dock is Hafisu Mohammed, aka Danjuma, a mechanic.
The two officers are being held on the charges of attempted robbery, conspiracy and murder.
Mohammed has been charged with conspiracy.
The pleas of the accused persons have, however, been reserved by the Court.
At Tuesday’s sitting, Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Abraham Annor told the Court that due to the nature of the case, the Police would need to take time to carefully go through the reports from the experts.
When the Court, presided over by Mr Stephen Owusu, enquired from General Lance Corporal Mensah how he was faring, he complained about his swollen leg.
According to Mensah, who was without legal representation, he was unable to go to the Hospital because he had to attend to Court at Mpraeso in the Eastern Region.
The case investigator promised to send him to the hospital.
Abrokwah also complained of abnormal bodily pains, saying any time he lamented over it, the Police at Osu where he was being kept, asked him to channel his problems to the case investigator.
The facts, as presented by DSP Annor, indicated that the Police officers were stationed at Donkorkrom.
He said the officers hatched a plan of robbing the bullion, and on August 16, the Police officers, who were duty at GN Bank and GCB, decided to rob the bullion van of the amount it was carrying.
The officers, therefore, discussed the robbery with Mohammed, who was a friend to the two and also a taxi driver.
The officers, therefore, armed themselves with AK 47 Rifles and laid ambush at a spot between Tease and Mame Krobo at about 1030 hours.
Mohammed drove his taxi with registration number 1860-09 towards Ekye Amanfrom to monitor the arrival the bullion van.
The Prosecution said 20 minutes later, the bullion van arrived and Mohammed signalled the Police officers who then opened fire, killing the driver of the van.
DSP Annor said a Police officer on board the van got injured but he managed to return fire compelling the two robbers to take cover in the bush.
The Police officers then called Mohammed, who picked them with his car, in their bid to escape.
The Police Command at Donkorkrom got wind of the robbery incident and they mobilised men who arrested the three accused persons on board the cab.
The Prosecution said two AK 47 rifles, 23 rounds of am munitions, a cutlass, two metal bars were retrieved from the taxi.
The deceased’s body has been deposited at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital awaiting autopsy.
DSP Annor said three other occupants of the bullion van, however, escaped unhurt and the Policeman on guard was treated and discharged at the Donkorkrom Presbyterian Hospital.
Source: GNA