Tears of Roko's relatives flow in court

Accra, Oct. 30, GNA - Relations of the murdered Mr Roko Frimpong, former Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) on Tuesday broke down in tears when they caught sight of the four alleged killers at the Osu District Magistrate Court.

Francis Ankobea aka Nana Sei; William Agbavor; Foster Kwame Boakye; Samuel MacCarthy are being held for conspiracy and murder. The court did not take their pleas and remanded them into police custody to reappear on November 30. Two of their accomplices, Atta Kakra and Jonathan Abbey aka Joe are at large.

Soon after prosecuting Police Inspector Anthony Afetsi prayed for an adjournment to enable the police prepare a duplicate docket to the Attorney General's office for advice, relatives of the deceased could not suppress their tears which nearly disrupted proceedings at court with the clerks shouting repeatedly: "order in court." Roko's relatives travelled all the way from Kumasi to witness the proceedings.

Prosecuting Police Inspector Afetsi said Mr Frimpong, now deceased resided at Sakumono, while the accused belonged to a deadly armed robbery gang operating in the Accra/Tema Metropolis. Inspector Afetsi said on July 28, this year, at about 2030 hours, the six-member gang boarded a seized Opel Vectra car with registration No GR 4735 P, armed themselves with two pump action guns and one locally manufacture pistol and stormed the deceased's residence. They pulled the deceased out of his main gate, fired at him and quickly sped off.

Prosecution said Ankobea, Agbavor, Boakye and MacCarthy have admitted their involvement in the crime and mentioned Abbey, now at large as the one who pulled the trigger on the deceased. Inspector Afetsi said the accused persons have, however, denied that they were hired to eliminate the deceased but claimed that they went there to rob the deceased of his money.

Prosecution said the locally manufactured gun and a cash of =A28,000,000 cedis believed to be part of MacCarthy's share after committing the crime had been retrieved. Inspector Afetsi said the Police were making efforts to apprehend the two other suspects and to retrieve the guns.