Crime 8 suspected gold robbers granted bail

Eight accused persons, facing charges at the Tarkwa Circuit Court in connection with robbery at the Attalla mine site, in the Wassa Amenfi West District of the Western Region, in April this year, were last Tuesday, granted bail.

They were granted bail to the sum of GH?20,000 with four sureties each.

The accused, Anas Adams, 35 and George Osei, 35, both national security operatives; George Ohene Adjei, 56, driver, Jonathan Aryer, 28 and Agyeman Jackson, 29, both unemployed, Isaac Okuampah 29, painter, Patrick Fordjour, 29, taxi driver and Samuel Obeng, 35, a dismissed soldier, have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime, to wit robbery.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges and would re-appear on June 16.

The prosecution indicated that the accused persons robbed miners of their gold and other items, at the Atalla mine site near Asankrangwa. Earlier, the accused appeared before the Asankrangwa District Magistrate Court, but were discharged and put before the Tarkwa Circuit Court.

On April 25, the Asankrangwa Divisional Crime Officer, Superintendent Henry Agbeve, led an operation that resulted in the arrest of the eight on the Asankrangwa-Wassa Dunkwa road, onboard an unregistered black Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

However, Kofi Asante, who allegedly led the gang, managed to escape and a search on the vehicle revealed a vehicle number plate with registration number AS 6646-20, gold concentrate in five gallons, 15 mobile phones, various foreign currencies, and four bags in which there were two military uniforms.

Obeng wore one of the uniforms bearing the rank of a sergeant, whilst Jackson wore one with the rank of a private.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the gang arrived at the mining site near Atalla dressed in military uniforms, and subjected some workers to beating, handcuffed and tied them with ropes, abandoning them to their fate and robbed them of their gold concentrate.