Soldier caged for robbery

Two persons including a military officer attached to the 37-Milliray Hospital in Accra have been dragged before an Accra Circuit Court for robbery.

The accused persons are Corporal Bernard Tsagli and Joseph Ansah, driver.

It is the case of the prosecutor, Superintendent Kweku Bempah that the two on November 11, last year at Lashibi in Accra conspired to rob and did rob one George Obeng, a Marketing Officer of his GH¢40,000.

Appearing before relieving judge Abena Oppong-Adjin Doku, the two who were represented by their lawyer vehemently denied the charges.

The court however remanded the military man and his civilian accomplice into police custody until June, 1 2017.

Earlier, Andrew Kudjo Vortia, lawyer for the accused persons had made a spirited argument for alibi insisting his clients were nowhere near the crime scene.

According to him, on the said day, Bernard was on duty at the 37 Military Hospital.

For Joseph, the senior lawyer stated that he also had his vehicle grounded at Adenta and had gone with his (Joseph’s) sister’s vehicle to a funeral at Hohoe in the Volta Region.

Citing Article 19 (2) of the 1992 Constitution on the presumption of innocence, Mr. Vortia urged the court to bail his clients.

He stated that the court had the power to grant bail to anybody before it unless that power has been expressly taken away by statute.

Mrs. Oppong-Adjin however adjourned the case for the defense lawyer to file for alibi.

Bernard is a resident of Burma Camp while Joseph also lives at Frafraha both suburbs of Accra.

On November 11, 2016, at about 2:40pm, Gorge went to Global Access Bank Limited, the Sakumono branch and withdrew a sum of GH¢40,000 and boarded a taxi cab with his two friends who are witnesses in the case.

On their way home, four men in military uniforms in another taxi stopped them and forced them to join their taxi.

They were driven to the Teshie Military Camp on the Lister Hopsital Road where they were attacked and robbed of the said amount of money. After the act they dropped them at the roadside one after the other until they finally dropped George.

George reported the case to the police but on May 16 he had information that some military men have been arrested.

On May 17, 2017 at an identification parade the accused persons were identified by the complainant as those who robbed him on the said day.