Labourer, driver in court for snatching cars at gun point

Accra, April 13, GNA - Two persons who allegedly robbed four drivers of their taxi cabs at gun point at a spot near JH Plant pool at Dworwulu in Accra appeared before an Accra High Court on Wednesday. Mustapha Ibn Asimu, a labourer and Nana Owusu, a driver, are facing charges of conspiracy and four counts of robbery. They pleaded not guilty and the court presided over by Mr Justice Charles Quist remanded them into prison custody to reappear on May 6. Mr Samuel Ofori, who represented the accused persons, recalled that the accused persons had denied the offence. He called for a speedy trial since the accused persons had been in custody since August 10, 2010.

He drew the court's attention to the fact that the Police indicated that the incident took place at the same spot. Mr John Tulasi Ofori, an Assistant State Attorney, the prosecutor, said the complainants were Kaman Augustine, Samuel Tetteh, Robert Adjetey and Bartholomew Sitsofe, all taxi drivers. He said in July and August 2010, the Kotobabi Police Command received complaints from the victims that their cars had been snatched at gun point.

Consequently, Mr Tulasi said, the Police intensified their patrols and mounted checks to clamp down on the activities of the criminals.

The prosecutor said on August 9, 2010 at about 0145 hours policemen with assistance from members of the Kotobabi Watchdog Committee conducted a snap check at Polo Park Junction at Kotobabi and intercepted the a Daewoo taxi cab with registration number GC 3830-09 which was carrying the accused persons.

During a search one tape cord and a sharp knife were found on Asimu, while a toy pistol was found on Owusu, aka Nana Kwame. Mr Tulasi said when the accused persons were interrogated they confessed to robbing four cars and the fifth one was what they were driving in.

The prosecution said the accused persons led the Police to retrieve two of the cars and later the Police recovered the other cars.