Crime & Punishment of Monday, 1 October 2012

Source: GNA

Court remands teacher and unemployed for armed robbery

The Agona Swedru Circuit Court on Friday remanded a teacher at the Agona Bobikuma Junior High School (JHS) and a 17 year-old unemployed into prison custody for armed robbery.

The plea of Kwesi Solomon, 17, and Philip Yedu, 32, the teacher, were not taken and the court ordered them to re-appear on November 6 2012.

Two others whose names were only given as Razark Awudu and Papa Yaw are at large and had been declared wanted by the police.

Prosecuting, Police Inspector Opoku Mensah told the court presided over by Nathaniel K.T. Osam, that Mr Abdul Mumuni from Awutu Bawjiase and a student at IMPC in Accra is the complainant in the case.

According to the prosecution, the two accused persons live with the complainant in the same town.

He said on September 24, 2012 at about 02.40 hours, the five suspects in masks and armed with guns, broke into the house of Mr Mumuni and started firing gun shots indiscriminately.

The prosecution said the robbers later subjected the complainant, who was awakened by their noise into severe beatings before fleeing into a nearby bush.

Police Inspector Mensah told the court that on 25th September, 2012, the complainant identified Solomon on the Streets of Awutu Bawjiase and raised alarm resulting in his arrest.

The prosecution said when the accused was interrogated by the police, he confessed and mentioned the names of the four accomplices.

He said Solomon led the Police to their place of abode where Yedu was arrested.

Lawyer Kojo Annan, Agona Swedru legal practitioner made application for the teacher to be granted bail but was rejected by the court.

Police Inspector Mensah said the docket would be sent to the office of the Attorney General Department for advice.