Crime & Punishment of Friday, 7 November 2014

Source: GNA

Court discharges two robbers

Two persons accused of conspiring and robbing Coastlink Financial Services Company limited, have been discharged by an Accra Circuit Court.

Justice Nkrumah, Driver and Kweku Gyasi, Unit Transfer Vendor and Spiritualist were discharged by the court presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, after it ruled that it was obvious the prosecution does not want to continue with the case.

He said the court was optimistic that the absence of the prosecution in court on several occasion, proved that it had no interest in pursuing the case, and as such the accused persons must be set free to enjoy their right due them.

Consequently, the Court said it was irrelevant to continue remanding them, and therefore discharged them and cautioned them to be of good behaviour.

They were said to have robbed the company of one Toshiba laptop, worth GH? 1, 3000.00, one HP Digital camera valued at GH? 450.00 and a safe containing GH? 23,387.00, but pleaded not guilty to both charges.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Idan Derry told the court that the complainant, Seth Boateng, is a Banker and Manager of the Financial Service at Abura Dunkwa.

He said on April 22, Justice posed as a businessman and went to the company with an unknown lady to secure a loan but he could not meet the loan conditions and therefore left the premises.

The prosecution said on April 25, at about 0230 hours, eight armed men all wearing face masks invaded the office of the company, overpowered the watchman on duty, and stole the items listed and the watchman’s mobile phone.

He told the court that an informant linked the two accused persons to the robbery.

DSP Derry said on May 17, the complainant spotted Justice at Yamoransa and alerted police personnel at a barrier.

He said Justice was driving a Toyota Salon car with registration number GR 408 X, and noticing that the police wanted to arrest him, abandoned the car and escaped, but was traced with the help of the Saltpond Police and was arrested.

The prosecution said Kweku was also traced to his relocated base at Akonoma and arrested.