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An Accra Circuit Court has granted bail in the sum of GH¢20, 000.00, to seven suspected terrorists who were arrested in Salaga in the Northern Region with AK-47 assault rifles.
The seven who were arrested during a military training in Dzantong-Daboise, near Salaga in the Northern Region, are also to provide two sureties each, one each to be a public servant.
The court, Presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandor, was forced to grant the bail after the prosecution failed to get a response from the Attorney General’s Department despite forwarding the docket as far back as February 10, 2016.
The case was adjourned to April 29.
Three of the accused persons: Issah Suale, mason; Mahama Saani Muftawu, trader; and Mohammed Alhassan, a nurse at the Tamale Teaching Hospital; have been charged with possession of firearms without authority and unlawful training.
The rest: Alhassan Abdul-Dayan, teacher and student of Valley View University College, Techiman Campus; Abdulai Ibrahim Wumpuni, auto mechanic; Umar Ibrahim Alhassan, auto mechanic; and Andani Moahmed Toufig, a teacher, were charged with abetment and unlawful possession of firearms.
One of the suspects, Iddrisu Ibrahima, a teacher, is at large.
The accused persons are alleged to be members of “TABLIGH Brothers” an international Mobile Preacher Wing of Sunni Muslims.
The seven, who denied all the charges, had in their possession two AK47 rifles, a laptop with videos and documentaries of Islamic militant activities.
Earlier, the prosecutor, DSP Aidan Dery, told the court that on December 24, last year, Suale, Muftawu and Ibrahim arrived at Dzantong- Daboise village near Salaga with two motor bikes.
He said the youth within the community, suspecting them to be ritual murderers looking for a place to bury a corpse, accosted them.
According to prosecution, the youth arrested Suale and Muftawu but Ibrahim escaped. When the bags were searched two AK47 rifles were found.
When the rest of the accused persons attempted to rescue Suale and Muftaww, they were also arrested.
Prosecution said 16 spent AK47 ammunitions shells were found in the room of Umar Ibrahim Alhassan.
DSP Dery said the Police recovered a Toshiba laptop with videos and documentaries of Islamic militants’ activities from Mohammed Alhassan.
During interrogation, prosecution said Suale and Muftawu said they went to Dzantong-Daboise to locate a quiet and secure place to practice the firing of weapons.
