German nurse kidnappers to appear before High Court

Accra, Aug. 4, GNA - The trial of seven persons allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a German nurse, would now take place at an Accra High Court in September, a Chief State Attorney said on Tuesday. Ms Pennelope Ann Mamata, who disclosed this before Accra Circuit Court where the accused are standing trial, said the Kofi Annan ICT Centre in Accra had also declared its readiness to provide assistance for part of the trial to be heard via video conferencing.

The accused, Godwin Husunugbo, aka Shunton, Isaac Amuzu, James Afari, aka Bob, Roland Gyan, aka Alvin Walker, Dennis Asamoah, aka Bigi and Kwadwo Kwarteng have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, robbery and kidnapping.

Daniel Abebrese, a ka Pius, an accomplice is at large. They accused persons 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.

Ms Mamata said the complainant had indicated that she would not be able to visit Ghana to testify but her country's Foreign Affairs Ministry had indicated its readies to conduct the trial via video conference, so that the complainant's evidence would be obtained.

The defence team, however, prayed the Circuit Court to admit Husunugbo to bail because he had tuberculosis and was coughing badly. Ms Mamata, however, asked defence team to provide a medical report on the ailment of the accused and file a motion to buttress his argument. The court agreed to the request of the State Attorney and ordered the Police investigator in the case to send the accused person to hospital, saying, "The accused persons need to be alive so that they could defend themselves".

It remanded the accused persons to prison custody to reappear on August 25.

The 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. She offered him 2,000 Euros and this 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 she was met on arrival by Husunugbo 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. The prosecution said Gyan received GH¢120 as his share while the rest received GH¢ 80 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. 04 Aug. 09