An Accra Circuit Court has once again remanded into police custody four police officers arrested in connection with bullion van robberies in Accra.
This is the second time the court, presided over by Patricia Amponsah, is remanding the suspects.
They were earlier denied bail on March 9 when they first appeared before the court.
The suspects are Constable Affisu, Yaro Ibrahim, Constable Richard Boadu, Constable Rabiu Jambedu, Constable Albert Ofosu and a civilian, Razak Alhassan.
Ibrahim and Ofosu have been charged with attempted robbery while Boadu, Jambedu and Alhassan have been charged with abetment.
The court is yet to take the plea of the accused persons.
When the case was called on Monday, March 28, prosecution informed the court that the team was making progress with its investigation.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sylvester Asare said the police had built four separate dockets involving the accused persons.
He, therefore, prayed the court to adjourn the case to enable the police further its investigations.
He said that admitting the accused persons to bail will hamper police investigations.
Counsel for the accused persons opposed the prayer by the prosecution and appealed to the court to grant their clients bail because they were serving police officers who would not interfere with investigations when granted bail.
The court, after hearing both sides upheld the prosecution’s request and remanded the accused persons for one week.
They are to re-appear on April 5.
The court is expected to take the pleas of the accused persons in respect of the charges after the facts are read to them.
Facts
The facts of the case as presented to the court by DSP Slyvester Asare were that the first four are police officers while the fifth is a scrap dealer.
Sometime in 2021, the Ghana Police Service recorded a series of street robberies and attacks on bullion vans.
Following the recent robberies, the service mounted surveillance on the suspected robbers undertaking these unlawful activities within the capital.
On February 22 2022, the police received a report of an attack on a bullion van with registration number GN 424-14 at North Kaneshie, a suburb of Accra, by some gunmen.
The police launched an investigation into the alleged robbery which led to the arrest of Constable Reindolph Gyimah Ansah also known as Pablo [deceased] who admitted the offence during interrogation.
“Further enquiries led to the arrest of Lance Corporal [L/Cpl.] Stephen Nyame [also deceased] and the accused persons herein,” the prosecution said.
Per the facts, “the accused persons, during interrogation, admitted taking part in the multiple bullion van robberies recorded in the Greater Accra Region, including the robbery which took place in February 2021 at Kingsway opposite the Freemason Society, Baatsona- Spintex road in March 2021, Jamestown-Adedemkpo incident in June 2021 which led to the untimely death of Police Constable Emmanuel Osei.”
DSP Asare said, during the investigation, the late Lance Corporal Stephen Nyame and Constable Reindolph Gyimah Ansah mentioned two Nigerians, including Omor Naija, as accomplices, currently on the run and that some of the weapons used in the robberies were with their Nigerian accomplices around Ashaiman.
On March 6 2022, the late L/Cpl. Stephen Nyame and Constable Reindolph Gyimah Ansah, alias Pablo led the police to a suburb of Ashaiman to apprehend the said two Nigerians.
The Ashaiman operation or raid resulted in an exchange of gunshots which later led to the deaths of the two officers, the prosecutor narrated.