Court remands two for abetment and robbery

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded Prince Tease, a businessman and Paul Kofi Mensah, a driver into police custody for abetment, forgery of document and robbery.

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges and would reappear on August 20.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Moses Atibilla told the court that the complainant is a Canadian and a businessman.

He said during April, the complainant came to Ghana to purchase Gold.

The prosecution said the complainant first met Mensah and told him about his mission in the country and the accused person told him, he and his boss deal in Gold.

He said Mensah sent the complainant to CFC Estates towards Achimota, where they met Prince, who said they could supply him 50kg of Gold at $3, 50 per kilo.

ACP Atibilla said the accused persons then demanded that the complainant pay seven per cent of the amount, which was $ 110,250 for documentation and export so that the 50kg would be sent to the complainant’s partners in Dubai.

“Prince also told the complainant that while sending Gold to the partners, he (Prince) will travel to Dubai for three days and come back to Ghana, after the Gold has been delivered to the partners,” he added.

The prosecution said it was further agreed that the balance of $1,464, 750 would be given to the accused person on their return and before the 10kgs of Gold be handed over to the complainant.

He said the complainant, then paid $110,250 to the accused person and kept the 10kgs of the Gold in his hotel.

The prosecution said the accused person, however, sent one kg of Gold to the complainant’s partners in Dubai instead of the 50kgs and gave the complainant fake customs documentation.

He said few days, later after the tickets had been bought for the complainant to travel with Prince, when Mensah went to pick the complainant together with the 10kgs of Gold, pretending they were going to the airport rather went to the accused person’s office for a meeting.

ACP Atibilla said at the office, one of the accused persons was holding a pistol and said the complainant he was a customs officer.

He said there they gave the complainant a fake document purported to be a court injunction retaining the shipment of the Gold and forcibly took the 10kgs of Gold from him.