Drama in court as robbery suspect tried to escape

There was drama at an Accra Circuit Court on Monday when a fitting mechanic, Thomas Abdul Aziz Abubakar, charged with conspiracy and robbery, tried to escape without the attention of the investigator.

The suspect was in court, for conspiring with two others and robbing one Albert Essandoh of an amount of GH¢ 380.

After the case was adjourned, the investigator escorted him out to pick a taxi to the station, and at the blind side of the investigator the suspect took to his heels in the handcuffs attempting to escape.

An eye witness, also a police officer, told the media that he met the suspect at the entrance of the court room alone, and immediately suspected him, so he followed him closely for a while.

He said he realized the movement of Thomas was suspicious because he had his hands under his long top moving very fast and was watching around.

The eye witness said there was another man walking closer to him, so he quickly and gently asked him whether he was the one with him, but the man told him no, then he was sure the suspect was trying to escape.

He said “I raised an alarm and immediately the suspect took to his heels. Together with other policemen we chased him till he got out of the court premises, crossed the street and stopped a taxi, but the driver didn’t stop.

He went ahead to stop a motorbike, but I pushed him off the bike and he fell and I caught him.”

The eye witness said they brought him to the court premises to look for the investigator, handed the suspect over to him and he was sent back to the police station.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Police Chief Inspector E. Afful, told the court that the complainant is a TV repairer living at Kokomlemle, while the accused person is a mechanic and lives at Nima.

He said on October 10, at about 2100 hours the complainant was going to meet his wife at a bus stop on the ring road, and upon reaching a spot between the total filing station and Paloma Hotel, he was attacked by three men who ordered him to surrender his mobile phone.

The prosecution said the complainant resisted and a struggle ensued between them, but they took to their heels when the complainant shouted for help and people started approaching the scene.

They were pursued by the sympathizers, and the accused person managed to enter a big gutter close by, but luck eluded him when he was chased and arrested. In the course of his arrest he caused harm to the complainant and a witness in the case with a cutlass he was holding.

Chief Inspector Afful said the other two managed to escape. Thomas also denied the offence and claimed that he was passing by when he heard the shout of the complainant, so he joined the crowd to assist in arresting the attackers when he was mistakenly identified by the complainant as one of the attackers.

He said the accused person was however assaulted by the crowd and was subsequently sent to the Police Hospital where he was treated and discharged.