2 Cops, taxi driver appear in court for attacking bullion van
The two policemen and the taxi driver who allegedly conspired to rob a bullion van and ended up killing the driver of the van at Donkokrom in the Kwahu Afram Plains South District on August 16, 2016 appeared before the Accra District Court on Tuesday.
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Corporal Solomon Elvis Mensah, Lance Corporal Daniel Kissi Abrokwah and Hafisu Muhammad, the taxi driver, are also alleged to have injured the policeman escorting the bullion van.
The three have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, while the two policemen are separately charged with murder and attempted robbery.
The two law enforcement officers and their alleged accomplice appeared in court looking very tired, obviously as a result of their transfer from Donkokrom to Accra.
With their heads bowed, they were escorted to the courtroom by their colleague law enforcement officers.
Committal and bail
At the hearing of the case on Tuesday, the court, presided over by Mr Stephen Owusu, explained to the three accused persons that they were in the court for committal and not for the actual trial.
“This court is for committal, and as a magistrate, my duty is to examine all the evidence against you and reach a decision whether you should stand trial at the High Court or not,” he explained.
Mr Owusu told the accused persons that as a result of a recent Supreme Court decision, the offences that they had been charged with were bailable.
“However, I don’t have power to grant you bail. It is the High Court that has jurisdiction to try this case and so it has power to grant you bail,’’ he said.
The court remanded the three into police custody and adjourned the case to September 6, 2016.
Aftermath
The alleged robbery attracted nationwide attention when the three suspects escaped from police custody in Nkawkaw while being transported from Tease to Koforidua for investigations and prosecution.
Not happy with the escape, some residents of Donkokrom demonstrated against what they described as laxity and negligence on the part of the police in the area.
They blamed the police command in the area for masterminding the escape of the alleged robbers and vented their anger on the policemen by setting the police station, vehicles and other things ablaze.
Following the destruction of the things, the Police Administration decided to withdraw the policemen from the area until the police station was reconstructed at the expense of the people of the area.
The Inspector General of Police, Mr John Kudalor, has visited Donkokrom to assess the security situation in the area.
Facts
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr Abraham Annor, said the bullion van belonging to the GCB Bank normally visited Donkokrom to supply money to the branch of the bank there.
On August 16, 2016, he said, Corporal Mensah and Lance Corporal Abrokwah, who were stationed at the GN Bank and the GCB Bank respectively, decided to rob the van and take the cash in it.
“This plan was discussed with Muhammad, a taxi driver and mechanic who is a friend of the two. Hafisu drove his taxi towards Ekye Amanfrom to monitor the arrival of the van,” he said.
According to the prosecutor, the two policemen, armed with AK 47 assault rifles, waylaid the van.
“About 20 minutes later, Hafisu signalled the policemen and, on seeing the bullion van, they opened fire, killing its driver.
“A police guard on board the van got injured but he managed to return fire, compelling the two policemen to flee into the bush,” DSP Annor explained.
The prosecutor added that the two policemen called Hafisu, who picked them in a bid to escape.
“Information about the incident got to the police at Donkokrom and they mobilised men who managed to arrest the three persons,’’ he said.
Escape
Sources close to the case have revealed to the Daily Graphic that the police also intend to prosecute the three at the High Court for escaping from lawful custody.