Tuesday, 30 September 2008
Two police officers were yesterday put before an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly robbing a student of GH¢25,000.Lance Corporals Emmanuel Mawuli Awadzie and Solomon Awudu of the Adenta and Madina stations, respectively, pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to rob and robbery and were remanded in prison custody until October 10.
The prosecution’s case is that Awadzie who was on AU Peace-keeping mission in Liberia before the incident, returned to Accra on a visit and met Awudu on September 4, at a drinking spot at Madina.
According to ASP Reindorf Agyemang, the prosecutor, a police informant hinted the two officers that Sylvester Osei Gyamfi, the student had allegedly succeeded in defrauding an expatriate of 75,000 dollars through the internet.
He said the informant was able to locate the residence of Gyamfi, after an attempt by the officers to arrest him days later failed.
At about midnight of September 10, the officers and the informant went to Gyamfi’s house to arrest him without making any entries in their respective station diaries, he continued.
ASP Agyemang said Awudu who was in uniform and armed with a rifle was supposed to be on duty at Deas and D Ventures at Ashaley Botwe that night but went to Agbogba Police Post and requested the officer on duty, Wisdom Hormeku, to help them arrest Gyamfi.
Hormeku, not suspecting any hidden agenda of the two officers and the informant, made entries in the Agbogba Station diary and took a riffle to accompany them to Gyamfi’s house.
After pointing out Gyamfi’s room, the informant went to hide somewhere while the policemen forced the door open after Gyamfi refused to open it, he said.
"Immediately the door opened and Awudu saw Gyamfi dialling a number on his cell phone, he allegedly gave him some slaps and snatched the phone and all other phones of Gyamfi plus that of his fiancée."
ASP Agyemang told the court that the officers handcuffed Gyamfi and asked him "to bring out all his money" and when he failed, Awadzie ransacked the room but did not get any money.
They then packed Gyamfi’s computer and accessories into his own car, after which they told Hormeku to return to post while they took Gyamfi away in the car leaving his fiancée.
The prosecution said after Gyamfi had failed to show where he kept his money, the officers threatened him with death and for fear of his life, Gyamfi told them the money was in the room of the fiancée’s sister, Sadia.
According to the prosecution, they then went for Sadia and she was "told to quietly go for the money which was said to be 25,000 Ghana Cedis but she could not since the key to the bag in which the money was kept had been left in Gyamfi’s room".
They later found the key and Awadzie took the money after which the handcuff on Gyamfi’s hand was removed. They, however, handcuffed the fiancée’s sister and locked her in her room.
Thereafter, the prosecution said, the two officers fled in Awudu’s car and Gyamfi made a complaint to the Madina police, giving the description of the officers.
Awudu was arrested at post and he is said to have admitted having committed the offence with Awadzie who on hearing of Awudu’s arrest, left the country back to Liberia on September 19 to avoid arrest but was brought back.
He also admitted the offence but denied taking GH¢25,000, saying that he collected only GH¢9,000, out of which he took GH¢5,000 and gave GH¢3,000 to the informant, while the rest was given to Awudu for safe-keeping.
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