Bench warrant for NPP office invaders

An Accra Circuit Court yesterday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of Bismark Osei Danso, 58, the ringleader of the suspected soldiers who invaded the New Patriotic Party (NPP) office in Accra.

The court also ordered the police to arrest five other persons, namely Razak Ebenezer Aduful, Kwame Adu Annan, Michael Agoha, Obed Yawson and Rakia Ali Mohammed (a woman).

The order followed a request for a bench warrant from the prosecution led by DSP Abraham Annor, which was granted by the trial judge, Ruby Naa Adjeley Quayson.

DSP Annor said the defence lawyer had called him on phone that he was heading to court but was not there when the case was called.

He said even so, the accused persons ought to be in court.

However, five others who were in court escaped the warrant.

They are Ali Iddris, 24, unemployed, Abdul Wudu, Nii Teiko Ayi-Bontey, Shamzi Dinni, and Ben Okyere.

Emmanuel Darkwah represented the NPP. Sitting continues on June 21.

Trial Stalls

Unfortunately, the business of the day, which was the tendering of the statement by the case investigator, Sergeant Eric Owusu Yeboah, could not be carried out.

The fourth prosecution witness was also to tender the supposed weapons found in the NPP offices.

Earlier, the investigator had told the court in his evidence that Danso had told the police that they raided the NPP office to register their displeasure at the suspension of Paul Afoko, the former national chairman of the party.

According to Sgt Yeboah, Bonsu said they had raided the office because they were disgruntled over the decision of the party.

According to Danso, who is a contractor/ex-soldier popularly called assemblyman, he mobilised eight retired soldiers resident at Kakasunanka near Michelle Camp and Tema, made them dress in military uniforms and took them to the NPP headquarters.

As to where they got the military uniforms for the criminal act and who contracted them, he is yet to tell the police.

The suspects were charged with unlawful entry, unlawful purpose on private premises and causing unlawful damage to the tune of GH¢28,000.

Danso claimed he was a former assembly member for Odorkor Otitan who was peeved about the development in the party and therefore mobilised soldiers in uniform with military vehicles and with police protection to invade the NPP headquarters.

Charges

According to the prosecutor, DSP Annor, the accused persons on Monday, November 23, 2015, between the hours of 1:30am and 2:30am at Asylum Down and Kokomlemle respectively, unlawfully entered the premises of the NPP with intent to commit crime.

The accused persons are facing other charges of being at the party’s premises for unlawful purposes and causing damage.

Speaking in various Ghanaian languages, the accused persons denied the offences and were each admitted to bail in the sum of GH¢10,000 with two sureties.

They are also to execute a bail bond to be of good behaviour or in default serve three months in jail.

The prosecution said the police were informed that some soldiers had invaded the NPP headquarters and were causing damage to property.

DSP Annor said when the police went to the scene, Danso and 10 others in red T-shirts with the inscription, ‘United Patriots,’ were arrested.

He claimed that Danso explained that the soldiers had information that the Invisible Forces at the NPP headquarters had weapons on them and that they needed to disarm them before they organised a peace meeting between the executives of the party and the suspended national chairman at the party headquarters at those ungodly hours.

The prosecutor stated that in addition, Danso mobilised 480 supporters from all the 10 regions to come to the party headquarters to support them since they would organise a press conference, adding that when the retired soldiers got to the place, they took the security men hostage and locked them up in the security room.

The soldiers entered the premises, when nobody was in the NPP offices, with a fertilizer sack containing three loaded SMG guns with 36 live ammunitions and three machetes and informed one Moro Sulemana, the security man at the place, that he was the owner of the arms since he was a member of the Invisible Forces.