General News of Wednesday, 6 November 2002

Source: d.g

Kumasi Robbers Nabbed

Three out of the numerous notorious and hardened armed robbers in the Kumasi metropolis who have succeeded in robbing their victims of valuable assets at gun, points during their operations, have finally found themselves in the grips of the law.

In their latest operations which landed them in the grips of the Kumasi, police, the robbers allegedly attacked four people in their residences at Bremang Nkantwuma, a suburb of Kumasi, and made away with ?6.724 million cash and other valuable assets at gun-points.

The robbers include, Mohamed Mustapha, 29, mason, Daniel Kusi, 21, driver, and Kwaku Danso, 42, trader.

They were consequently arraigned before a Kumasi Circuit tribunal on Wednesday, November 6, 2002, to answer charges.

The court chaired by Mr. Vicent C. Senu did not take their plea on the charges of robbery preferred against them.

The tribunal chairman did not mince words to remand them into police custody immediately after the facts of the case were revealed in court.

Defence counsel, Mr. Charles Agbenu?s plea for bail was turned down when the court noted that robbery is a first degree felony.

Prosecuting, chief Inspector of police, Mr. Fabien Kwame Afesi, told the court that on October 23, 2002, at about 12 midnight, the robbers dressed in military uniforms used a taxi cab with registration number AS 3966S, belonging to Kusi, one of the robbers, in their operations.

He adduced that the robbers armed themselves with offensive weapons, including sharp cutlasses, knives and pistols, entered a house at Bremang Nkwantwuna in Kumasi.

According to chief Insepctor Afesi, when the robbers forced one of the doors to the rooms open, the occupant raised an alarm which attracted the other tenants to come to the crime scene.

But, he told the court that immediately, the robbers began to shoot indiscriminately to scare the tenants and, in the process, managed to escape with ?6.724million cash, a Panasonic video-deck, photo camera, gold watch and a nokia mobile phone and other personal valuables, running into million of cedis.

Prosecution told the court that when the victims lodged a complaint with the Suame police, the robbers were identified and arrested upon a tip-off. The case has been adjourned to November 13, 2002