Accra, Jan. 29, GNA - Eight persons including a woman who are alleged to be involved in the kidnapping of a German nurse on Thursday pleaded not guilty to various charges levelled against them. The eight are being held for conspiracy to commit crime, stealing, assault and kidnapping.

Appearing before an Accra Circuit Court on Thursday the court admitted them to bail in the sum of GH¢5,000 each with a surety each to reappear on February 23. The court further ordered them to report to the Bureau of National Investigations once a week. The eight are Godwin Husunugbo, aka Shunton, Isaac Amuzu, James Afari, aka Bob and Roland Gyan, aka Alvin Walker. The rest are Dennis Asamoah, aka Bigi, Daniel Abebrese, aka Puis Kwadwo Kwarteng and Hannah Aidoo. They were said to have lured Sonaj Kaiser, a 58 year-old German nurse, to Ghana, assaulted and kidnapped her and demanded a ransom of 150,000 Euros.

The prosecution said four months ago Gyan established contact with the victim on the internet and introduced himself to her as Alvin Walker, a 58 British national resident in Ghana. Gyan further demanded from the victim 5,000 Euros to clear his goods locked up at Tema Harbour. The victim therefore sent 2,000 Euros through Western Union Money Transfer. The prosecution said on January 1, this year the victim furnished Gyan with her flight details and Gyan contacted Asamoah and informed him about the victim's trip to Ghana.

Gyan and Asamoah contacted Husunugbo, a taxi driver, who agreed to pick the victim up at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA). The prosecution said on January 2, Husunugbo after receiving the photograph and details of the victim, picked her up at the Airport to Taifa, a suburb in Accra, where she was to lodge. On reaching the house all the accused persons were waiting and as soon as she was shown her room, they locked her up, assaulted her and stole an amount of 1,400 Euros, two mobile phones and a video camera. They further demanded a ransom of 150,000 Euros from the victim's son before releasing her.

The victim's son after agreeing to pay 35,000 Euros, alerted the German Police who also informed the German Embassy in Ghana. The German police, together with Ghanaian security personnel, arrested the accused persons.