Court turns down bail application for 2 in Koforidua armed robbery case


The Koforidua Circuit Court Monday granted bail to one of the eight people being tried for their involvement in a number of armed robbery cases which occurred in the New Juaben municipality between 2011 and 2013.

Zibo Mahmoud, who was charged with dishonestly receiving, was granted bail in the sum of GHc25,000, with two sureties to be justified.

An application for bail for Gideon Boateng and Charles Awuku, both charged with dishonestly receiving stolen items and abetment of crime, was, however turned down.

That was after their counsel, Mr Francis Polley and Mr Wiafe Dankwa, had asked the court to grant their clients bail because they did not know that the items they received had been stolen.

However, Mr Frederick Tetteh, one of the three prosecutors, prayed the court not to grant bail because Boateng and Awuku were perfectly aware that the items they received had been stolen.

To buttress his case, the prosecutor told the court that evidence would be led to prove that the two had foreknowledge that the items had been stolen and that if granted bail Boateng, in particular, would leave the country, since he was being prepared for that.

The court, presided over by Mr Ebenezer Osei, after a lengthy argument between counsel and the prosecutors, did not grant him bail.

Five others who were also in court charged with different counts of conspiracy, robbery, rape and causing damage to property were Samuel Akwetey, alias, Agbeko; Isaac Agomor, alias Baaba; Godwin Ametoryo and Nicholas Eshun, who had just been apprehended.

They were said to have carried out their operations at different parts of Koforidua, such as the Medical Village which houses some of the doctors attached to the Eastern Regional Hospital, and the Daasebre Estates.

Akwetey pleads guilty
Akwetey, said to be the mastermind of the robberies and leader of the gang, pleaded guilty to robbery but explained that he did not use guns or any offensive weapons, while the others pleaded not guilty to their charges.

They were remanded in custody to reappear on February 26.

Mrs Emily Addo Okyireh, a Chief State Attorney, who was assisted by Mr Frederick Tetteh and Priscilla Dikro, both senior state attorneys, told the crowded court that Akwetey, Ametoryo, Boateng, Harrison, Agomor, Mahmood, Awuku and Eshun had acted in concert to rob a number of households in different parts of Koforidua. Rape and molestation

She said during the raids, the gang molested and raped some of their victims, after which they took away items such as laptops, flat-screen television sets, jewellery, wax prints, cash in both local and foreign currencies, mobile phones and a pistol belonging to one of the medical doctors they attacked.

Mrs Addo Okyireh stated that it was Boateng’s private car, a Toyota Corolla with registration number GE 2882-12, which was used to cart their booty. She indicated that some of the items had been retrieved from the gang.

She said an industrial cutter, a pistol, machetes and other offensive weapons were also seized from the gang.

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