Police officer gives evidence over his stolen AK47

The Police Officer whose AK 47 rifle, together with 10 rounds of ammunition, belonging to the Ghana Police Service, was stolen at his residence at Pokuase, yesterday gave his evidence before an Accra Circuit Court, presided over by Aboagye Tandoh.

Lance Corporal Joseph Manu, stationed at the Amasaman Police Station, said the accused person, Anthony Agbozo, sneaked into his room while he was asleep, and bolted away with the gun and ammunition. The Judge, however, adjourned the case to February 10, 2016, to allow the Prosecutor bring another witness to give his evidence.

Meanwhile, Anthony Agbozo has been remanded into lawful custody.

Agbozo, a carpenter by profession who had already been charged with three counts of possessing a firearm without lawful authority, stealing and causing unlawful damage, had pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Facts

Prosecuting, Chief Superintendent of Police Duuti Tuaruka said on June 25, 2015, at about 6:00 p.m., Lance Corporal Joseph Manu, a policeman at Amasaman, came to the charge office and booked for an AK 47 rifle number 5910 and 10 rounds of ammunition for guard duty at the Pobiman toll booth.

C/Supt. Tuaruka said at about 10:00 p.m. that same day, L/Cpl Manu returned with the rifle to his rented quarters at Pokuase where he resides to see whether his wife who traveled the previous day had returned.

In the house, the prosecution said, the policeman did not see his wife, and so he put the rifle in his room and slept on his bed. While asleep, the prosecution continued, Agbozo sneaked into L/Cpl Manu’s room and stole the rifle loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition.

The prosecution said on November 30, this year, at about 9:00 a.m., a witness saw the accused person hiding the rifle under a kiosk and he raised the alarm.

Agbozo was arrested and handed over to the police at Pokuase together with the loaded rifle.

The prosecution said it was realised that the accused person had muzzled the butt of the gun. An inventory of rifles revealed that out of the 10 rounds of ammunition stolen with the gun, two were missing, and six of the remaining eight rounds were those stolen from L/Cpl Manu.