2 Cops Charged With Robbery

By Stephen K. Effah
Thursday, 02 October 2008

Two policemen were put before an Accra circuit court yesterday, charged with robbing a Malian of a truck-load of bicycles and motor spare parts valued at GH¢120,000.

The case could not, however, be heard because, according to the presiding judge, Mahamadu Iddrisu, it was not properly assigned to his court. He explained that the case docket only bore the initials of the Deputy Judicial Secretary and not his signature, and asked that the case be sent back for the proper thing to be done.

The two policemen, Joseph Frimpong and Frank Boakye, both with the Airport Police Station, are facing two counts of conspiracy to rob and robbery.

According to the prosecution, on August 14, a truck load of bicycles and motor spare parts, being driven from Tema Harbour to Mali by Abdul Aziz, was stopped at the Dzorwulu Traffic Light by
six people including the two policemen and Solomon Antwi, a brother of Frimpong, now at large.

The policeman then pulled Aziz and his two mates out of the truck into a waiting taxi and drove them to the Achimota Forest area where they were abandoned.

However, they were able to find their way back to the spot they left the truck but it had been taken away. They reported the matter to the police and caused announcements to be made on radio.

The prosecution said that the following day, an anonymous caller was able to assist the police to trace the truck which had been abandoned on the Mallam-Kasoa road but without the goods in it.

On September 16, the two cops were arrested following a police intelligence report.
According to the prosecution, Frimpong told the police that on August 14, at about 2:30 pm, he had a call from an unknown man who told him that Antwi, his brother, had asked him to call the station to request for policemen for an exercise at Dzorwulu.

Frimpong informed Boakye who was on duty at the station and they left for Dzorwulu where they met three civilians who told them to impound a truck loaded with uncustomed goods which they were waiting for.

The truck arrived at about 5.30 pm, and the two policemen stopped the driver, pulled him and his two mates out of the truck and took them away.

The prosecution said Frimpong told the police that the truck was driven to Darkuman Alafia where the goods were discharged into an uncompleted house.

He denied knowing the civilians who took part in the operation even though they gave Boakye and himself GH¢80 after the operation.