Five policemen, who allegedly robbed a student and businessman of GH₵20,000.00 at gun point at East Legon, Accra, have been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit Court.
The policemen from the national Deployment Force at the national headquarters are also said to have offered their case investigator GH₵2,500.00 to help them cover up the matter.
The accused are General Lance Corporal Redeemer Agama, General Constables Wishwell Odoo, Evans Amwagsi, Lawat Agyapong and Sena Kuvordo.
They are facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime namely robbery, robbery and conspiracy to commit crime to wit: giving bribe to influence public officer.
They have denied the charges and are expected to reappear on June 9 before the court presided over by Mrs Rosemond Torsu.
Prosecution, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Evans Kesse, informed the court that they need some time to conduct further investigations into the matter.
Based on the prosecution’s argument the court remanded the accused persons.
Yaw Danquah and Andrew Kudzo Vortia represented the accused persons in court.
The facts as presented before the court are that the complainant, Jeffery Mackeon Yeboah, is a student and a businessman, while accused persons, who are with the Deployment Force, usually perform vehicular patrol duties.
Prosecution said on May 24, this year, at about 0200 hours, the complainant was on board an Uber taxi around UPSA area when accused persons were on Operation Calm Life Police Service vehicle with arms meant for night patrol.
Prosecution said the policemen forced the victim (complainant) into a police patrol vehicle and accused him of scamming.
According to the prosecutor, accused persons threatened the complainant with harm and asked him to hand over every penny on him as they drive him from Madina to Awudome cemetery, near Kaneshie.
Prosecution said accused persons threatened the complainant if he failed to hand over GH₵20,000.00 on him.
According to the prosecutor, the accused persons, ordered the complainant to transfer the cash from his bank account through online banking system into his mobile money account.
Accused persons continued to hold the victim hostage at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and a civilian joined them in the Police Patrol vehicle.
The victim, acting on instructions of the accused persons amidst threats and harm, transferred cash in the sum of GH₵20,000.00 from his Ecobank Account, the Prosecutor said.
Prosecution said having robbed the victim (complainant) of his money deleted the transaction records on his phone and accused drove him to the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and forced him into a taxi.
Accused asked the taxi driver to drive his vehicle without looking back.
The prosecutor said a report was made to the Police and investigations led to the arrest of the Policemen and the cash of GH₵20,000.00 was also retrieved.
Prosecution said after the arrest of the policemen, they bribed the case investigator with cash in the sum of GH₵2,500.00 to cover them up in the case.
Prosecution said an itemised bill has been sent to Abeka District Court for disclosures and efforts were underway to arrest their civilian accomplice whose mobile money account was used to facilitate the crime.