Accra, June 15, GNA- An Accra High court hearing the case of four alleged Canadian kidnappers has adjourned the matter to June 21.
The court presided over by Mrs Justice Lydia Osei Marfo was expected to continue with the hearing of the fourth accused person’s (Yusif Yakubu) evidence in Chief.
However, the court was compelled to adjourn the matter saying, “due to circumstances beyond the control of security personnel (prison officers) the matter is adjourned to June 21, 2022.”
The GNA learnt that due to the heavy downpour on Wednesday, security personnel informed the court to adjourn the matter to avert any eventualities.
Armed prison officers then hurriedly handcuffed the accused persons in the courtroom and escorted them to a waiting vehicle.
The four accused persons are: Sampson Aghalor, aka Romeo, a 27-year-old Computer Engineer, Elvis Ojiyorwe, a 27-year-old businessman, Jeff Omarsar, a 28-year-old tiler, both Nigerians and Yusif Yakubu, a resident of Kumasi.
They are standing trial over the alleged kidnapping of two Canadian girls in Kumasi in 2019.
The accused persons have been charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit crime to wit kidnapping and two counts of kidnapping.
The four have, however, denied the charges and have been remanded into lawful custody.
An All- Ghanaian security operation, led by the National Security on June 11, 2019, rescued two Canadians – Luaren Tilley and Bailey Chittey, who were allegedly abducted at the gate of their hostel at Nyiaeso, a Kumasi suburb.
The Canadians were in Ghana to do voluntary work.
The accused persons allegedly kept them in an uncompleted building on the outskirts of the town and demanded a ransom of $800,000.
The victims had boarded a car to their hostel at Nhyiaeso behind the Vienna Hotel but were accosted by the accused persons when they arrived at their destination and alighted from the car.
On June 11, 2019, security operatives arrested Yakibu at his house and he led security officials to arrest Aghalor at Aboabo, also in Kumasi.
Orjiyorwe and Omarsa were picked up at Amoam Achaise, whilst they held the victim amidst exchange of fire.
Orjiyorme and Omarsa also threatened to kill the victims if the security operatives did not retreat.
Amidst the threat, the accused persons were arrested, and the victims rescued.
A search at the crime scene revealed items, including a hand grenade, knives, pistols, and other personal effects of the victims.
GNA