By Emelia Nkrumah
Accra, Oct. 24, GNA – Three persons have been remanded into police custody by an Accra Circuit Court for conspiring to commit crime and causing unlawful damage.
Mr Amankwah Dotse, aged 38, Mr Emmanuel Kpobi, aged 50, and Mr Raphael Agboli, all Land guards, were jointly charged with conspiracy to commit crime and causing unlawful damage.
Again, Mr Agboli, was charged with two counts of threat of death.
They pleaded not guilty to all the offences levelled against them.
Mr Yaw Dankwah, counsel for the accused persons, prayed for their bail, saying that they were not a threat to society and not a ‘fright risk.’
He said his clients had a fixed place of abode, as well as people of substance to stand as sureties.
Prosecution opposed the bail on the grounds that the accused persons would interfere with police investigation if granted bail.
The prosecution said the investigator needed ample time to do an investigation on the land.
He said there was the need to conduct a forensic investigation on a suspected Indian hemp found on one of the accused persons.
The Court presided over by Mrs Evelyn Asamoah remanded the accused persons into police custody to reappear on October 24, 2022.
Police Chief Inspector Samuel Ahibor, prosecuting, told the Court that complainant, Mr Jonathan Kwabena Ofori, was a Businessman and resided at Ofankor-Accra whilst the accused persons were residents of Kpobikope-Mayera.
The prosecution said suspects Mensah Dogbe and Godson Atakorah were at large.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said in 2004, the complainant acquired 20 plots of land at Mayera from Nana Ansah Henry and Dr Kumah for building purposes.
The prosecution said the complainant walled the land and put up a two-bedroom house on it for his caretakers, Erica Blankson and Emmanuel Owusu Danso, witnesses in the case.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said on August 20, 2022, the accused persons went and broke a portion of the fenced wall and sold part of the complainant’s land to one Michael Sackey.
The prosecution said the matter was reported to the Police and the accused persons were arrested.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said during investigations, the accused persons were warned by the Regional Police Command not to go to the land again.
The prosecution said on October 12, 2022, the accused persons went back to the land, pulled a pump action gun on the caretakers, and threatened to kill them.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said the Anti-Land Guard Team from Accra Regional Police Headquarters rushed to the scene and arrested the accused persons.
The prosecution said a search conducted in Mr Dotse’s bag revealed one wrap of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
Chief Inspector Ahiabor said investigations were still ongoing to apprehend suspects at large to assist police investigations.
GNA