Artisan remanded for supplying pistols to armed robbers

An Accra Circuit Court on Thursday remanded one Rashid Bashiru, an artisan for aiding and abetting five convicts to commit crime to wit robbery and possession of fire arms and ammunitions.

Rashid was said to have abetted one Stanley, Micheal, Gilbert, Fredrick and Mohammed to commit crime, to wit robbery and possession of one automatic MAB foreign made pistol, and six live 9mm ammunitions.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was remanded by the court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh to reappear on May 5.

Prosecuting, Chief Superintendent of Police Duuti Tuaruka told the court on January 9, 2016 one Lydia Horsu, the Marketing Administrator with Koala Group of Companies, was shot and robbed of her personal belongings, near American Embassy, by a group of robbers who were on board a motor bike.

He said a taxi driver who witnessed the incident chased them with his car and knocked them off their motor bike. A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of Stanley, Mohammed and Okoe, now convicts.

The prosecution said in their investigation statement, Okoe mentioned the name of Rashid, resident of Alajo and further gave his phone number as the one who gave them the pistol.

Chief Superintendent Tuaruka said Michael also mentioned the accused person as their accomplice, and he further stated that, on January 8, 2016 at about 1900 hours, Rashid drove him (Okoe) in his private black Golf from 37 Military hospital to Koala Shopping Centre at Cantonments for surveillance to enable them attack the shop.

He told the court that efforts by the police to arrest the accused person proved futile as he, together with one Akpanye another accomplice went into hiding.

The prosecution said on January 10, intelligence led to the arrest of the accused person at his hideout at Achimota.