Crime & Punishment of Sunday, 17 May 2015

Source: GNA

Court remands three over gold robbery

Three men accused of gold robbery have been remanded in prison custody by a Kumasi circuit court, presided over by Mrs Afia Adu-Amankwaah.

Kwaku Dankwah, George Akolgo and Baba Seidu are said to have attacked a small-scale mining company with guns, seized and fled with a quantity of the precious mineral valued at about GHC31,887.00.

They have been charged with conspiracy and robbery for the attack which happened at Ntobroso in the Atwima-Mponua District.

They pleaded not guilty and would reappear on Wednesday, May 27. Two other people reported to be their accomplices and named as Kwaku Bonga and

Police Superintendent Emmanuel A. Akunnor told the court that the accused and their colleagues struck at a mining site, operated by Mr Richard Boakye at about 1630 hours on May 04.

The five-member gang, amid gunshots, stopped a car carrying the day’s gold haul, forcibly ejected the driver and sped off.

They drove for a distance, emptied the car of the gold and other valuables including mobile phones and abandoned it.

The prosecution said a report was made to the police at Adiembra and the three were arrested at Acherensua in the Brong-Ahafo Region through the vigilance of the people, two days after the crime.

They were arrested as they fiercely fought over the sharing of the booty. They confessed to the crime during police interrogation and said they had sold the gold to some authorised dealers.

A search conducted in their rooms uncovered cash of GHC29,943.00.

Meanwhile, two dealers mentioned to have bought the stolen gold, Patrick Asamoah and Isaac Conduah, have been arrested and assisting the police in investigations.