Accra, 2 March '99 -

Fourteen persons, including two policemen, who were allegedly involved in the highway robbery of gold worth 2.4 billion cedis at Gomoa Abotsia, near Apam, were on Monday put before a circuit tribunal in Accra. They pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy and robbery of the gold, property of Resolute Amansie Limited at Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region. The tribunal chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson-Yeboah remanded them and asked the prosecution to submit the docket to the Attorney General's Department after investigations. The accused are Philip Asamoah, Teddy Amevor, both drivers, Eric Boateng, assistant supervisor, J. K. Mensah and Alex Amoako Acheampong, both police constables, Oscar Nkrumah, a supervisor and Emmanuel Wilson, a driver. Others are Joseph Anane Mensah, a businessman, Jonathan Otumfour Berger, a private detective, Alexander Kwabena Biney and Philip Kudaya, both drivers, Francis Mensah, security guard, Andrews Alexander Inglis, Operations Manager and Godfried Amoako, a security guard. The prosecution said at about 1530 hours on February 16, this year, a convoy of three vehicles belonging to West Coast Allied Services (WCAS), a private security company, was conveying eight boxes of unrefined gold from Amansie to Accra. On reaching Gomoa Abotsia, 10 armed robbers dressed in military uniform intercepted the bullion van and made away with the gold leaving the van. The robbers allegedly seized two other vehicles belonging to AGC Limited and Ghacem Limited which arrived at the scene of the robbery and took away 300 dollars and three million cedis belonging to the driver of the AGC vehicle. The prosecution said police do not believe the story of the accused persons, which they described as a "ploy". Hearing continues on April four.