Michael Akwesi Sakyi cleared of arm trafficking charges

When the lawyer for Michael Akwesi Sakyi turned up in court on 23 November 2022 in the company of the police, he had no idea his client was a free man.

As at the day in question Michael Akwesi Sakyi had been to court on numerous occasions to answer charges that related to the illicit trafficking in arms.

Michael Akwasi Sakyi and eight other persons were arraigned and charged with conspiracy to commit crime and illicit trafficking in firearms.

On 23 November 2022, Mr. Sakyi was unable to attend court so he instructed his lawyer who appeared in court and represented him.

Mr. Sakyi expected to learn his fate and acquaint himself with the progress of investigations after proceedings on the said date.

Meanwhile, in the courtroom Michael Sakyi's lawyer and all other parties and the court were informed by the police that a new charge sheet had been filed.

The interest of the lawyer at that stage was to find out the new twist that had led the police to file a new charge sheet and the effect it might have on hid client's case.

However, things took an unexpected twist when Michael Akwasi Sakyi's name was conspicuously missing from the list of accused persons.

The turn of events took Mr. Sakyi's lawyer aback as he was under the impression that his client was a lead suspect in the matter.

As Michael Akwasi Sakyi would later learn from his lawyer, the absence of his name from the list of accused persons was not a mistake as the police had decided to drop all charges against him.

This was a vindication of Michael Akwasi Sakyi as he had always maintained his innocence of the allegations and the subsequent charges since his arrest in February 2022 and arraignment in March 2022.

Until he was cleared of all charges, Michael Sakyi was answering for these charges alongside Cpl. Arafat Kunde; Mahama Makbool; Nancy Ashong; Alex Dotse; W.O. Rahman (at large); James Mawuena @ James Sedofa; Akwesi @ Upgrade (at large); and Joseph Papa Quansah (at large).

Michael Sakyi was however not the only beneficiary of this twist of events as another accused person Nancy Ashong also had all charges against her dropped.

The two were discharged.

Michael said he suspected some political machinations may be at play but is glad it is all over now.

Background

Presenting the facts of the case to the court when the accused persons were first arraigned, the Prosecutor DSP Sylvester Asare said sometime in January 2022, the police received information that some group of persons were dealing in firearms and ammunition.

Upon receipt of the information, police mounted surveillance on the accused persons, and on February 18, 2022, Nancy Ashong was arrested at Fadama, a suburb of Accra, and a search conducted in her kitchen revealed sixteen (16) boxes of 7.2 x 39mm Ball (24,000 rounds of AK 47 ammunition).

He said when Nancy Ashong was questioned at her house on where she got the firearms, she mentioned Mahama Makbool as the person who kept the boxes of ammunition in her kitchen.

“Subsequently, Mahama Makbool was arrested at his house close to Nancy’s residence, and a search conducted in his room revealed one Smith & Wesson SD9 VE pistol with Serial No. FBU2848.

DSP Asare continued that during interrogation, Makbool admitted that he sent the sixteen boxes of the AK47 ammunition to Nancy’s kitchen for safe keeping.

He said Makbool further admitted ownership of the Smith & Wesson pistol, and mentioned NO. 201709 Cpl Arafat Kunde as the person who supplied him with the ammunition, together with two SMG rifles to be sold to him.

The police later arrested Cpl Arafat Kunde at Kasoa, and during interrogation admitted having supplied twenty (20) boxes of AK47 ammunition to Makbool.

He said Cpl Kunde again mentioned Ex Lance Corporal Ato Rahman Iddrisu alias W.0. Rahman, a retired soldier, as his source of the rifles.

“The investigation further led to the arrest of Michael Akwesi Sakyi and Alex Doste as accomplices, where further investigation established that Cpl Kunde was a bodyguard to suspect Kwesi Sakyi,” the prosecution stated.

The prosecutor said suspects, Sakyi and W.O Rahman provided an accommodation on the Spintex Road which was used for the illicit activities.

“Again, investigation had it that whilst Cpl  was in custody, he managed to contact Michael Sekyi, his boss  and informed him of extra ammunition kept in his room at Spintex road.

Subsequently, Sakyi and W.O Rahman managed to move six boxes including 9000 rounds of AK 47 assault rifle ammunition from Cpl Kunde’s room to a house at East Airport residential, and kept same in an abandoned vehicle which was later retrieved by the police,” the prosecution added.

DSP Asare said their preliminary investigation had established that in addition to the 22 boxes of AK 47 assault rifle ammunition retrieved from the accused persons, James Mawuena gave two SMG assault rifles to Cpl Kunde to be sold.

Consequently, Cpl Kunde also gave the rifles to Makbool who successfully sold one at the cost of GH¢11,800.00 and returned the other one to Cpl Kunde.