Accra, April 16, – The fourth
prosecution witness in the case in which some armed men freed inmates at the
Kwabenya Police Station after an attack on the station, killing a Police
Officer on duty, on Monday appeared before the court
Lance Corporal Richard Amoakohene
in his evidence in chief told the court that he resides at Lapaz and is
stationed at the National Police Headquarters. He also said he knew the first
accused Prince Osei.
He said on January 16, he was on
patrol duty with a team of police officers conducting their normal duties when
they stopped a Nissan Urvan mini bus and decided to conduct a search in the
bus.
He said during the search, Prince
came out of the vehicle and removed a handkerchief from his pocket, so he asked
him to open it, and when he did, he found 6 cartridges in the handkerchief.
The witness said he arrested
Prince to the patrol car and when they conducted further search he found a
locally manufactured pistol on him, which he claimed ownership.
Lance Corporal Amoakohene said
Prince, told him that there were two other accomplices in the bus, so he took
him back to the bus to identify his accomplices.
“He pointed them out to me, so
they were all arrested and sent to the Kwabenya police station. After the
necessary investigations, we submitted our statements.”
During cross examination, Prince
asked the witness whether he (Prince), was the one who showed him the gun or he
found it on him, but the witness maintained that he was the one who found the
gun on him when he searched him.
Prince also asked the witness
whether he was the one who gave him the handkerchief or drivers mate, and he
answered that, it was Prince who was holding the handkerchief so he asked him
to open it.
He told the witness that he was
not being truthful to the court, but Mr Amoakohene maintained that what he had
told the court was the truth.
Counsel for Nancy Denta and
George Asante, Mr Augustine Gyamfi asked the witness how many officers were on
the patrol team, and what time Prince was arrested, and he answered they were
five on the team, and Prince was arrested around 2330 hours.
Counsel for Elvis Owusu and
Theophilus Banda, Mr Dela Blagodzi, asked how long the witness has been in the
police service and he said six years six months.
When asked where the other two he
said he arrested together with Prince were, he told the court that they were
not part of the accused.
Meanwhile George Yeboah, Prince
Kofi Achempong, Edward Lartey, Kofi Seshie, and George Sarbah, who were not
represented in court today, told the court that they had no questions to ask
the witness. He was therefore discharged.
The prosecution said they have
one more witness to call in addition to Lance Corporal Robert Owusu, and Lance
Corporal Samira Mohammed, and Lance Corporal Richard Amoakohene.
At the previous sitting the case
was adjourned to April 16. When the case was called, the prosecution who was
expected to present its third witness told the court that the witness was not
available, and prayed the court for an adjournment.
The facts of the case as
presented by Prosecution led by Superintendent of Police, Kweku Bempah were
that, the complainants are Policemen stationed at Kwabenya District Police station.
Prince Osei, 25, is a scrap
dealer living at Glefe Dansoman; Atta Kwadwo, 20, is a driver; and Kofi Darko,
25 also a trader living at Glefe, Dansoman.
Nancy is 28 and lives at Dome;
and George Yeboah is 30 and lives around the Graphic Road.
Prince Kofi Acheampong is 32 and
lives at Afienya; Edward Lartey is 20 and lives at Tema Newtown; Kofi Seshie is
28, George Sarbah is 23, Elvis is 31, George Asante is 33, and Theophilus is
25.
Mr Bempah said on January 21, at
about 0130 hours, a gang of armed men numbering six attacked the Kwabenya
Police station and freed their colleagues who were being held in detention for
various violent crimes.
He told the court that in
execution of their plan, the assailants proceeded to the station whilst two of
them who pretended to have a complaint to lodge, entered the charge office and
told the counter Non-Commission Officer (NCO) that someone borrowed money from
them and had refused to pay back.
The counter NCO No. 43225 G/Cpl.
Robert Owusu advised them to seek a redress at the civil court since the case
they were reporting was civil matter, the two then signalled the rest, who had
laid ambush within the premises, and launched an attack on the Policemen at the
charge office.
The prosecution said they shot
Inspector Emmanuel Ashilevi, who was on duty as a Monitoring Officer on the
right buttocks, held the counter NCO, his counter orderly, the charge office
guard, and the night investigator hostages.
He said they took the keys to the
cells and released seven of the inmates, namely, Chibuzor Akwuba, Emmanuel
Kotey, Rockson Edem Dzigbede, Dickson Ofori, Prince Osei, Attah Kwadwo, and
Kofi Darko.
After the armed attack, the
assailants fled the scene, the NCO and the night Investigator arranged for an
ambulance and rushed Inspector Ashilevi to the Police Hospital for treatment,
but they were referred to the 37 Military Hospital, where he was pronounced
dead on arrival.
Mr Bempah told the court that,
Police intelligence, led to the arrest of George Yeboah, who assisted Prince
Osei and Attah Kwadwo with GH¢ 200.00 to escape out of the jurisdiction.
He also gave GH¢40.00 to Kofi
Darko to enable him escape from the jurisdiction.
He said on January 23, Police
intelligence led to the arrest of Prince Osei and Attah Kwadwo at Worawora in
the Volta Region.
Investigations also revealed that
whiles in detention, on January 18, Prince Osei overheard the other inmates
planning to escape.
According to the Police, in the
evening on the same day, Nancy brought a mobile phone to Dickson in the cells,
which he used to contact his people outside to execute the escape plan.
Rockson’s brother also brought a
hacksaw blade to him by hiding it in bread to cut the padlocks to the cells but
he could not do so.
He said upon interrogation,
Prince Osei, said he stole a gun from Prince Kofi Acheampong.
He also revealed that Dickson and
Chibuzor are Acheampong’s boys whom he normally sends out on robbery trips.
Mr Bempah said further
investigations also revealed that it was Acheampong in collaboration with
Dickson and Chibuzor who sent the armed men to attack and release them from the
cells, which led to the death of the Inspector.
On January 25, at about 0200
hours, Acheampong was arrested together with Edward from their hideout at
Afienya.
The prosecution said on January
27 at about 0230 hours, Attah led the Police to a house at Kasoa Nyanyano and
pointed Kofi Seshie to the Police as one of the gang members who came to rescue
them from the cells and also shot and killed the Inspector.
He said the rest are all
suspected accomplices arrested to assist in police investigations.
GNA
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