Two discharged by court in arms trafficking case

A circuit court in Accra has discharged two out of nine persons accused of an illegal deal in firearms and ammunition.

Michael Akwasi Sakyi and Nancy Ashong were discharged by the court, after the prosecution, led by Superintendent Sylvester Asare, dropped the charges of conspiracy to commit crime and illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition against them.

Sakyi and Nancy Ashong had denied all the charges.

The Prosecution amended the charge sheet and filed a new one.

When the new charge sheet was read, the names of Sakyi and Ashong had been dropped, leaving seven persons, including a soldier, being held as the accused. Sakyi and Nancy Ashong were, therefore, discharged by the court, presided over by Mrs Rosemary Baah Tosu.

The seven are Corporal Arafat Kunde, Mahama Makbool, Alex Dotse, ex-Lance Corporal Ato Rahman Iddrisu, alias W.O. Rahman, a retired soldier (at large), James Mawuena (at large), Akwesi, aka Upgrade (at large), and Joseph Papa Quansah (at large).

Narrating the facts of the case, the prosecution said in January, 2022, the police received information on some group of persons who were dealing in firearms and ammunition, illegally.

The police, therefore, mounted surveillance, which led to the arrest of Nancy on February 18, 2022. A search in her kitchen revealed 24,000 rounds of AK 47 ammunition.

Prosecution said during interrogation, Nancy mentioned one Makbool as the person who kept the boxes in her kitchen.

A search in Makbool's room revealed one pistol with serial number FBU 2848. After interrogations, Makbool mentioned one Captain Arafat Kunde of the Ghana Armed Forces as the person who supplied him with the boxes of AK 47.

Prosecution said Captain Kunde also supplied Makbool with two SMG assault rifles.

It said Captain Kunde mentioned two of the accused persons; Akwesi and Dotse, together with the others who are currently on the run as his source of supply.

Akwesi, during investigation, stated that Captain Kunde was his bodyguard although he remained silent on the source of the weapons and ammunition.

Preliminary investigations by the police also revealed that when Captain Kunde was in custody, Akwesi arranged with one Novor to discharge the remaining five boxes of AK 47 ammunition kept in Captain Kunde's rooms at Spintex Road.

Prosecution said the police had intensified surveillance to apprehend the others at large.