The five Police Officers who were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and attempted bribery, are temporarily free to go home, as they have been granted bail by an Accra Circuit Court on June 10, 2021.
The Court presided over by Mrs. Rosemond Torsu admitted the policemen to bail in the sum of GHC 80,000 with three sureties, which two of the sureties, the Court said, should be public servants earning not less than GHC 2,000 a month.
The five officers, G/L/CPL. Redeemer Agama, G/Const. Wishwell Odoo G/Const. Evans Arawassi , G/Const. Lawal Agyapong and G/Const. Sena Kuvordu were arrested and detained following a complaint of alleged extortion in two separate cases amounting to 40,000 Ghana cedis on 25th May 2021 during patrol duties. They were subsequently arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court and charged with three counts, conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery and attempted bribery.
The policemen, from the National Deployment Force (RDF) at the National headquarters, are also said to have offered their case investigator GH₵2,500.00 bribe to cover up their alleged crime, a charge they have denied.
During sittings on June 10, 2021, Prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Evans Kesse, informed the Court that the Police was almost done with the preparation of witness statements and was optimistic that by the next court sitting the police would file and serve same on the accused persons and their lawyers. He also hinted that “prosecution intends to amend three of the charges preferred against the accused persons in the next sitting” but did not disclose the charges.
Mr. Yaw Danquah, who was being led by Mr. Andrew Kudzo Vortia, repeated his bail application for the accused persons, saying they were not flight risk because they resided at Police Barracks and that the Police administration knew their respective hometowns, and assured that the accused persons would not jump bail.
Mr Dankwah prayed the Court to be given enough time so they could scrutinize the various documents filed by the Prosecution for a “good show down in court.”
Background
It would be recalled that Accra Regional Police Command in a statement released, detailed two separate incidents involving the accused officers. The statement said, on May 21, 2021, a report was received at the Kaneshie Police Station to the effect that around 2:00am, the complainant was onboard an Uber vehicle from Madina to Airport, when the five officers onboard an Operation Calm Life Police Vehicle, accused him of being a fraudster, then forcibly made him to transfer an amount of GHS 20,000 into a Mobile money account and abandoned him to his fate.
The second incident according to the Police statement, was reported to the Achimota police station by a complainant who said at 11:23 PM on the same day, he was driving an unregistered Mercedez Benz when he was stopped by three policemen at Hatso, off the Atomic-Madina road. He told the Police that the officers onboard an Operation Calm Life Police Vehicle searched his car after which he was arrested on grounds of being a cyber-fraudster, escorted to Silver Star towers at Airport and forced to withdraw a sum of GHS 20,000 from his ATM for them.
When the officers appeared the first time at the Circuit Court on Thursday 27th May, 2021, their charges were read to them and they pleaded not guilty. But the court remanded and charged them with three counts. Their bail applications were also denied.
It has also emerged that the five officers after their arrest, attempted bribing the investigator with cash sum of 2500 Ghana cedis to cover them up in the case, a situation which resulted in the court charging the officers for attempted bribery. An itemized bill has been sent to the Abeka district court for disclosure, while efforts are being made to arrest the civilian accomplice whose mobile money number/account was used in the facilitation of the crime.
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to July 13, 2021.
