Four persons, including three teenagers, who allegedly robbed passengers on board a Metro Mass Transit (MMT) Bus near Assin Bereku in the Central Region, have been remanded into prison custody by a Cape Coast Circuit Court.
Abubakar Mohammed, a herdsman, Thomas Addae, alias Adah, a car washer, and Shaibu Mohammed, a watchman are 19 years each, while Hamidu Mohammed, another herdsman is 27.
Their accomplice, whose name was only given as Baidi, a butcher, is on the run.
[contextly_sidebar id=”iSqhLe3MOvI6P8KuijQ7u5pE8E6rCtOw”]They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime, possession of fire arms without authority, and two counts of robbery, but their pleas were not taken.
They would reappear before the court on Tuesday, April 14.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Andam Okyere, who prosecuted, told the court, presided over by Mr. Kofi Seshie Ametewee, that the complainants were Police Corporal Owusu, stationed at Takoradi; and Mr. Paul Adjei, a taxi driver, who lived at Mankessim in the Central Region.
He said the four accused persons were residents of Kumasi, while Baidi, lived at Ejisu in the Ashanti Region.
He said on Friday March 20, Corporal Owusu was an escort officer aboard the MMT Bus with the registration number GW 1516/ Y, together with 51 passengers, which was heading to Kumasi from Takoradi .
He said when the bus got to a spot at the outskirt of Assin Bereku, in the Central Region, at about 0125 hours, they observed that the road had been blocked with bamboo sticks.
The bus driver was then signalled to stop by about five armed men, who stood in the middle of the road.
ASP Okyere said a taxi cab with registration number GS 5243/ 13, which was being driven by Mr. Paul Adjei, ahead of the bus, was also stopped by the men, who robbed the driver of his mobile phone and cash in the sum of GHC150.00.
They then shot into the air several times to scare the passengers aboard the bus, but the Police officer who was armed with an AK47 rifle, also gave warming shots but the robbers managed to collect various sums of money and mobile phones from the passengers and ran into a nearby bush.
A team of police officers, he said, then rushed to the scene, thoroughly reached the immediate environs but could not trace the robbers.
ASP Okyere said when the team mounted barriers and were searching the vehicles from the Assin Fosu direction they saw the accused persons in a commercial sprinter, with the registration number GW 6579/ 13, which was heading towards Kumasi.
He said the police team, based on intelligence highly suspecting the accused persons to be the armed robbers, arrested them and upon thorough interrogation they disclosed their involvement in the robbery.
When a search was conducted on them at the charge office, a cash of GHC 259.00 and four mobile phones were found in their pockets.
On the same day, Addae led police team to where they hid the weapons used in their operations during which a black polythene bag containing two locally manufactured single barrel guns, a mask and 30 pieces of cartridges were discovered.
ASP Okyere said Addae also led the team to the house of Biadi, their accomplice, whom upon spotting the Police managed to escape, and when his room was searched, a locally manufactured gun and an original pistol were found.
He said the accused persons, in their caution statements, admitted the crime and were, subsequently, identified by the complainants in the course of investigations.
Source: GNA