Court remands serial armed robber

An Accra Circuit Court on Friday remanded Aziz Bashiru, unemployed, in police custody- for two counts of robbery and causing harm.

The accused person pleaded not guilty and is to re-appear on October 27 to commence trial.

Deputy Superintendent of Police- Ernest Acheampong -told the court presided over by Francis Obiri that there are two complainants in the case.

He said the first complainant is a student of University of Professional Studies, while the second complainant is an apprentice at Kotobabi.

He said on October 9, this year(2014), at midnight at about 0030hrs, the first complainant returned from school but his door was locked and so decided to wait outside and browse with his LG mobile phone awaiting the opening of the door.

The prosecution said whilst browsing, the accused person holding a locally made pistol emerged and threatened to kill him, if he refused to surrender to him his phone but for fear, the complainant gave him the phone and he fled.

DSP Acheampong said within the same period, the accused person attacked the second complainant, who was in the company of the boyfriend and pulled the pistol on them, ordering them to surrender, whatever they had on them.

“For fear of his life, the boyfriend managed to run away leaving behind the girlfriend, who handed over her Samsung mobile and a cash sum of Ghc150 to the accused person, who fled,” he added.

He said on receipt of the news, a witness in the community mobilized men to trace and arrest the accused person and when he was arrested, he struggled fiercely with the men and in the process inflicted deep cuts on the left wrist of the witness with a cutlass concealed in his pair of trousers.

The prosecution said when he was searched, the pistol and mobile phone of the first complainant was found on him and was sent to the Nima police station where he was re-arrested.

In his caution statement, he admitted the offence in the presence of an independent witness.