Five held for allegedly kidnapping man

Five persons have been put before an Accra Circuit Court charged with conspiracy to commit crime, kidnapping and assault.

Ibrahim Akinlabi, a Musician, Daniel Bruce Cobbold, an auto mechanic, George Balagumetime, Alpha Hassan and Abdala Anwar, all artists have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Court, presided over by Mrs Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, admitted them to bail in the sum of GH¢20,000.00 with three sureties each to reappear on April 20.

Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Judith B. Asante, told the Court that the Nelson Sampson was a self-employed and a resident of Teshie- Asesewa in Accra.

The Prosecution said on March 21, this year, Sampson who had a penpal in the United Kingdom informed Akinlabi and Balagumetime that his pal would be sending him some money so he needed a pounds sterling account holder to receive it on his behalf.

According to the Prosecution, Balagumetime then gave his family’s foreign account details to Sampson to be given to his pal.

On March 20, this year, 2,500 pounds sterling was paid into the said account, however, a few minutes later, the money was withdrawn by an unknown person.

Akinlabi called Sampson to enquire from him whether he was the one who withdrew the money or not to which Sampson denied.

However, at about 2230 hours the same day, after the accused persons could still not identify and locate the one who withdrew the money, they became furious and invited Sampson to meet them at the Teshie Total Filling Station, and he obliged.

The Prosecution said during the meeting, the guys, at gunpoint, forced Sampson into a Toyota Camry Saloon car with registration number GT 259-16 and drove him to Tema Community One.

They questioned him about the withdrawn money and when he denied knowledge about who the culprit was, they beat him mercilessly and seized his mobile phone.

The following day, the Prosecution said, the alleged kidnappers took Sampson to Kokrobite but on reaching a spot, known as Down Town Pharmacy, they saw a team of police officers.

Sampson, consequently, informed the Police about his predicament so his attackers were nabbed and escorted to the Regional Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service.