Chainsaw operator remanded for robbery

A Tarkwa circuit court on Friday remanded Ibrahim Abubakar, a 29-year-old chainsaw operator, into prison custody for robbing Razak Botwey, a small scale miner of 62 pounds of gold and cash of 350 Ghana cedis.

Abubakar pleaded not guilty and would re-appear on November 18.

Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Oscar Amponsah told the court, presided by Mr. Justice Obeng Asante, that the complainant lived in the same vicinity with Abubakar at Fantekrom near Bawdie in the Western Region.

The second and third accused persons, whose names were given as Rasta and Clement, are residents of Anlo Nkwanta and Bawdie, respectively.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said around 0110 hours on September 7, this year- the complainant left his mining site at Fantekrom with a bag containing 62.49 pounds of gold and was accompanied by one Shalom and Yaw Ampong, his security officer.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said Abubakar, Rasta and Clement ambushed the complainant and the two men at a section of the road.

He said the accused persons were wearing masks and were armed with guns and cutlass and eventually succeeded in robbing the complainant of the gold, 350 Ghana cedis and four mobile phones.

Chief Inspector Amponsah said after the act, the first and second accused persons removed their masks and fled from the crime scene.

He said some local farmers who were harvesting their cocoa and were close to the robbery scene, later identified the accused persons to the police.

Ibrahim Abubakar was arrested the same day, but Rasta and Clement managed to escape and efforts are being made by the police to apprehend them.