Two men and a woman have been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court for conspiracy to commit robbery and attempt to commit robbery.
The Accused persons, Ama Bonsu, Abrefa Mensah and Kwesi Agyei pleaded ‘not guilty’ to both charges.
In reading the brief facts, the Prosecutor Superintendent Patience Mario said the Complainant Rosemary Owusu is a hairdresser and lives at ACP High Tension Estates, Pokuase, the first Accused, Ama Bonsu is a trader who lives at Doboro, Abrefa Mensah, the second accused is unemployed and lives in Kumasi, the third Accused Kwesi Agyei is a carpenter and lives in Accra and Kumasi.
She narrated that on 1st May, 2018 about 9:20 a.m., the Complainant boarded a taxi cab with registration number GW 7781- 13 driven by one Yaw Sarpong (who is deceased) with the Accused persons on board, at hotel junction bus stop near ACP junction, to Kwabenya station.
According to the Prosecutor, in reaching section of the road, the third Accused handed a fifty cedi note to the driver as if he was paying his fare.
“The driver requested the Complainant to change it for him but she declined. The second accused who was in the front passenger seat pushed his seat backwards, as a result the Complainant felt uncomfortable and started complaining”, the Prosecutor said.
Superintendent Mario said that the driver advised her to press something under the seat to re-adjust the seat and when she attempted to do so, the third Accused person who was sitting next to her removed a duster to blindfold her whilst he forcibly dipped his hand into her handbag but the Complainant blocked him.
The Prosecutor added that the Complainant sensed danger and immediately ordered the driver to stop for her to alight but he refused.
According to Superintendent Patience Mario, the Complainant started shouting and the driver raised the side glasses to prevent her from being heard.The Complainant threatened to break the side glass if the driver would not stop the car.
“They took her to a distance and the third Accused person pushed her out of the moving car”, the Prosecutor said.
She added that the Complainant boarded another taxi and chased the Accused persons.
According to her, when the Complainant neared the GA Rural Bank at Kwabenya, she alerted a policeman on duty of the incident and he quickly chased and intercepted the Accused persons in traffic.
The Complainant approached the intercepted car and identified the Accused persons to the police man.
Superintendent Mario said that the policeman ordered the driver and his accomplices to remain seated in the car whilst he called a police patrol team to escort them to the Kwabenya Police station, but unexpectedly, Yaw Sarpong hit the policeman with the car in an attempt to escape.
“The policeman fired into the car resulting in the death of Yaw Sarpong. In the process. The car ran into 3 other cars before it finally stopped”, she added.
The Accused persons surrendered and they were arrested and taken to the station while the deceased’s body has been taken to the Police Hospital mortuary pending autopsy.
According to the Prosecutor, the Accused persons admitted the offence in their caution statements and mentioned the third Accused person as their leader who owned the taxi.
The case has been adjourned to 21st May, 2018.
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
