Two policemen granted 50 million cedis bail each

Kumasi, March 12, GNA - Two policemen, a radio presenter and an official of the Judicial Service have been granted 50 million cedis bail with one surety each by a circuit court in Kumasi for conspiracy to collect money and forcibly collecting 20 million cedis from a herbalist in Takoradi.

Daniel Adjei and Ernest Asirifi both sergeants at the Takoradi Police Station, Ebenezer Korsah Anobah, a presenter of Rock FM in Takoradi and Joseph Donkor, a security man at the Nsuta office of the Judicial Service in the Western Region were said to have conspired and forcibly extorted 20 million cedis from the herbalist, Mr Kofi Afriyie at a hotel in Takoradi.

They pleaded not guilty and will reappear on March 20. Prosecuting, Police Chief Inspector Comfort Baffour-Kyei, told the court presided over by Mr R M Kugyapwah that on August 15 last year, Donkor approached the complainant, who was selling two of his cars, a Mercedes Benz and Nissan Terrano, that someone had expressed interest in buying the Benz.

She said the complainant who knew Donkor through a friend therefore handed over the car together with all the documents to him to sell. Chief Inspector Baffuor-Kyei said after sometime, Donkor who had not yet brought the proceeds from the sale of the Benz again called the complainant and told him that; another person had also expressed interest in the Nissan Terrano.

The prosecutor said the complainant who became suspicious asked Donkor to direct him to the buyer and he was told to meet him at a hotel in Takoradi.

Unknown to the complainant, the prosecutor said Donkor had arranged with the two policemen and the radio presenter to lay ambush in the hotel.

Chief Inspector Baffour-Kyei said immediately the complainant arrived at the hotel the two policemen arrested him on a charge that he had used Donkor's manhood for "juju".

She said the two policemen and the radio presenter drove the complainant and his houseboy, who accompanied him to the hotel to a nearby bush and demanded 300 million cedis from him.

According to the prosecutor, the accused persons warned the complainant that they would cause the story to be aired on radio stations and published in newspapers if he failed to pay the amount. Chief Inspector Baffour-Kyei said after a lengthy bargain the complainant agreed to pay 20 million cedis and asked the accused persons to collect the money at his residence in Kumasi. She said on September 26 last year, when Donkor and Sergeant Asirifi went to the complainant's house in Kumasi to collect the money, they were arrested by the police. According to the prosecutor, the accused persons in a caution statement admitted the offence and had refunded the money to the complainant 12 March 07