Police investigate attempted robbery of Ex-President's bodyguard

The Police Criminal Investigations Department on Wednesday began investigating an attempted armed robbery at the residence of Warrant Officer Patrick Kuntor, former Aide de Camp to former President Jerry Rawlings.

Mr Kuntor's house at Haatso, near Madina, was on early Tuesday invaded by armed men who, after an exchange of fire fled. Mr Kuntor said at about 1:30am on Tuesday, he heard his watchman shouting for help and screaming that he was being murdered after which he heard an explosion.

When he opened his windows he saw four men trying to tie up the watchman so took his gun and fired into the air to scare off the attackers.

He came out of the house through another door and he met another group of four robbers with white bands on their heads in the form of turbans.

Mr Kuntor said the robbers fired on him and he fired back, adding that he believed he hit one of them in the arm. Another shot was fired by one of the attackers who was lying under his car and he fired back.

According to him the attack was well organised. The gang numbered about 20 with three of them carrying weapons. Their ages ranged between 22 and 36 years and they were using what he believed were locally manufactured weapons.

The gang succeeded in carrying their wounded colleagues away. Police said they collected three nine-millimetre empty shells at the residence. Mr Kuntor said he does not believe there was any foul play on behalf of any state institution.

Meanwhile, a police source has described the incident as crime of opportunity, where the suspects may have wanted to use the victim's absence for about two weeks at his farm at Wenchi to rob his residence.