Alleged kidnappers of German nurse to face robbery charges

Accra, 8 June, GNA - The Office of the Attorney General has recommended that seven persons allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a German nurse should be charged with robbery. The seven were earlier on facing conspiracy to commit crime, stealing, assault and kidnapping charges. Appearing before the court on Monday the accused, Godwin Husunugbo, aka Shunton, Isaac Amuzu, James Afari, aka Bob and Roland Gyan, aka Alvin Walker and Dennis Asamoah, aka Bigi and Kwadwo Kwarteng have pleaded not guilty to fresh charges of conspiracy, robbery and kidnapping.

The court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Daniel Abebrese, aka Pius, an accomplice who is at large. Hannah Aidoo, the only female among them, was however discharged. They were said to have lured Sonaj Kaiser, a 58 year-old German nurse, to Ghana, kidnapped and assaulted her and demanded a ransom of 150,000 Euros.

The court rejected a bail application put in by their lawyers and remanded them into prison custody to reappear on June 23. The same court had earlier admitted them to bail in the sum of GH 5,000 cedis each and ordered them to be reporting to the Bureau of National Investigations once a week.

Inspector Stephen Baidoo, the prosecutor, told the court that the office of the Attorney General would now start prosecution. In a bail application, the defence team contended that the facts did not support the charges. According to them prosecution had not been able to prove the charge of robbery in the facts. They further said the victim came to Ghana voluntarily, adding despite the incidence of "Sakawa," the use pen pals should not be overlooked. The prosecution said the complainant was the Liaison Officer of the German Embassy in Accra while the accused were residents of Achimota and Taifa.

Prosecution said for sometime, Gyan and Asamoah had been chatting with the victim on the internet claiming that they were British nationals, resident in Ghana. Gyan therefore demanded from the victim 5,000 Euros and the victim offered him 2,000 Euro's and that was cashed by Asamoah through Western Union in Cape Coast.

The prosecution said on January 2, Gyan and Asamoah lured the victim to Ghana and was met on arrival by Husunigbo who picked her and sent her to a house occupied by Abebrese and Boateng at Taifa in Accra. In the house the victim was brutally assaulted and robbed of her belongings namely two mobile phones, a canon digital camera all valued at 658 Euros as well an amount of 400 Euros. Prosecution said Gyan received GH 120 cedis as his share while the rest received GH 80 cedis each. They further demanded a ransom of 150,000 Euros from the victim's son before releasing her. The victim's son after agreeing to pay 35,000 Euros, alerted the German Police who also informed the German Embassy in Ghana. The German police, together with Ghanaian security personnel, arrested the accused persons.