Koforidua, March 31, GNA - A suspected armed-robber has been shot dead in an exchange of fire with the police at Dawatrim, near Asesewa in the Eastern Region, on Tuesday.

His suspected accomplice, identified as Divine Agbeko, 27, has been arrested and is helping the police in their investigations.

The Eastern Regional Deputy Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Alhaji Hamidu Mahama, who disclosed this to the GNA, on Wednesday, at Koforidua, said on Monday, he had an information around 2300 hours, from the watchdog committee in the area, that a particular taxi with the registration number GR 1383 U, believed to be involved in harassing and stealing in the area was spotted at the village, ostensibly on a robbery expedition.

Accordingly, he led a team of policemen to join the watchdog committee to lay ambush at the outskirts of the town, where a Nissan pick-up that had been involved in an accident was parked. He said when the robbers in the said taxi got to where the car had been parked, they attempted to steal the engine and when they were challenged by his men, they opened fire on the police, who also returned the fire, killing one and managed to arrest Agbeko in the process, while two others in the car escaped.

ACP Mahama stated that when the suspect was arrested, he initially gave his name as Yaw Antwi from Osino, but they were able to contact his father in further investigations, who gave the name of his son as Divine Agbeko.

He said some drivers had also identified the taxi and the suspects, who were believed to be residing in Accra, as the same gang that had harassed travellers some few days ago on the Ayikuma-Lartey road.

Meanwhile, the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Koforidua Regional Hospital's morgue.