Aku Donkor robbery trial continues

Akua Donkor, Founder of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), on Friday disagreed with the assertion of a lawyer that she travelled to the Netherlands to stop President John Dramani Mahama from handing over power.

She told an Accra Circuit Court that it was not true that she did not want President Mahama to hand over power to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Madam Donkor also disagreed with defence counsel that, that was the reason why Yakubu Yusif, one of the accused persons and the Central Regional Chairman of GFP prevented her from travelling to the Netherlands.

She made these known when questions were administered to her by Mr Abraham Amaliba counsel for the Yusif and Shaibu during cross-examination in a robbery case before the court.

The accused persons are Yakubu Yusif, trader and Central Regional Chairman of the GFP; Banabas Kayase, her driver and secretary of the party; Opoku Agyemang, trader and Abdul Razak Shaibu, a member of a GPRTU taskforce.

Two others, Joe and Nuamah aka Lion, are currently on the run. The accused persons are on remand.

Madam Donkor debunked the assertions of Mr Amaliba that because his clients were good citizens that was why they wanted to prevent her from travelling to International Criminal Court of Justice to present her petition.

She said the trip was to lodge a complaint against the Electoral Commission of Ghana for rejecting her 2016 Presidential Nomination documents.

According to her, the four accused persons were armed robbers who robbed her of her money.

The Witness said she had never introduced Yusif as her party chairman during a press conference in Accra.

Lawyer: What visas are in your passport?

Madam Donkor: I have USA, Nigeria, Holland and Italy visas in my passport

Lawyer: Why did you go for a Holland visa?

Madam Donkor: I represent a party and I can travel to any country.

Lawyer: As a party leader do you have a branch in Holland.

Madam Donkor: No. I visited the Ghanaian community there.

Lawyer: Did Shiabu point a gun at you?

Madam Donkor: Yes he did.

Lawyer: I put it to you that Shaibu did not have a gun on him on the day of the incident.

Madam Donkor: Shaibu had a pistol on him and he pointed same at me.

Court proceedings monitored by Ghana News Agency indicate, that Chief Superintendent Duuti Tuaruka, prosecuting, stated that on December 30, 2016, at Taifa in Accra, the six persons conspired to rob Madam Akua Donkor.

The prosecutor said the accused persons at about 02:30 am at Sowutuom, a suburb of Accra, robbed Madam Donkor at gunpoint and snatched her travelling bag containing plane ticket, Ghanaian passport, voter ID card, $30,000 and GHS3,000.00.

Led in evidence by Chief Superintendent Tuaruka, Akua Donkor, in a court presided over by Aboagye Tandoh, the prosecution said she was attacked when Shaibu specifically ordered her to surrender the dollars in her possession.

She had told the court that it was only Yusif, Kayase and Agyemang who knew she had dollars in her travelling bag.

The witness said that on the night of her travel, Agyemang had asked her to give $400 to her driver which she initially protested. Akua explained that she had already given some money to her driver, maintaining that she later gave out the said $400.

Chief Supt. Tuaruka said Yusif and Kayase had information that Akua Donkor had in her possession $30,000 which she intended to travel with.

He said Kayase then agreed with the rest of the accused persons to rob her of that amount.

The prosecutor said “Opoku also demanded that the complainant should hand over all her car keys to him before travelling which she declined, and this brought a misunderstanding between them. Yusif, Kayase and Opoku secretly planned to contract some armed robbers to kill the complainant so that they could share the properties of the complainant, including the car and the cash she brought to Oppong’s house”.

Chief Supt. Tuaruka said thereafter Yusif and Kayase called Razak on phone to arrange for Joe and Nuamah to rob the complainant.

The prosecution said on the said day, Akua together with Yusif and Kayase were on board her vehicle – a Mitsubishi Pajero with registration number GT 6028-16 – from Taifa heading towards the Kotoka International Airport to catch a flight to the United States of America.

He said the three, armed with guns on board an unregistered motorbike, appeared behind the vehicle, and “as soon as Kayase spotted the armed men, he reduced the speed of the car, showing double hazard indicators that the complainant was in the car.”

Kayase, according to the prosecutor, parked the vehicle and the armed men attacked the complainant with guns and took the monies and items and then dragged her from the vehicle and escaped with the booty.

The prosecution said on 31st December, last year, Razak was arrested when he was called by Yusif to come for his share of the booty.

When Razak was searched, US$4,900 was retrieved from him.

He said upon interrogation Razak admitted the offence and mentioned Joe and Nuamah as his accomplices.

Hearing continues on Tuesday, March 21