By Laudia Sawer
Ashaiman, March 13, GNA – The Ashaiman Circuit Court has remanded into Police custody six persons accused of playing various roles in the robbery of Imoro Sherrif, the trooper of the Ghana Armed Forces, who was murdered at Ashaiman Taifa.
The Court presided over by Mr Simon Gaga, remanded them to reappear on March 27, 2023 for the pre-trial stage.
The accused persons, Samuel Tetteh, and Abubakar Sadick, pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit crime, and robbery, while Ibrahim Abdul Rakib, Safianu Musah, Yussif Mohammed, and Gafaru Abdul Karim pleaded not guilty to a charge of dishonestly receiving.
The court remanded the accused after Mr Alhassan Abdul-Fatahi, counsel for Rakib, Musah, Mohammed, and Karim laboured in vain to convince the Court in his application for bail.
The bail application was refused on the grounds that the accused had no permanent place of abode, with the Prosecutor, Superintendent Sylvester Asare, Director Legal, CID Headquarters, citing the severity of the case
In opposing the bail application, the prosecution said the accused resided in a kiosk, which according to the Law, did not qualify for a permanent abode.
He added that the nature of the accusation, evidence, and its severity should be taken cardinal in granting bail to the accused.
He also submitted that the human rights of the accused were also subject to the public interest, stressing that, “If this matter before the court does not pass the test for a public interest, then the phrase public interest has lost its meaning in law.”
Presenting the facts of the case, Supt. Asare said on March 4, 2023, the Police received information on a male adult found lying dead at Ashaiman Taifa.
He added that a team of Police Officers upon reaching the place retrieved a blood-stained knife, a backpack containing an iPad, Ghana Card, NHIS card, and a military uniform belonging to the victim who was a soldier with the Third Battalion of Infantry at Sunyani.
He said investigations revealed that the slain soldier went to visit his female friend at Ashiaman Newtown at about 2230 hours on March 03, and left for his home at about 0130 hours on March 4.
However, he was allegedly attacked by Tetteh and Sadick at Ashaiman Taifa with the purpose of stealing his mobile phone.
He added that the two succeeded in stabbing him and robbed him of his iPhone, explaining that the stolen phone was, subsequently, sold to Ibrahim for GHS300.00, who re-sold it to Safianu for GHS350.00.
The Prosecution said Safianu claimed to have also sold the phone to Mohammed and Karim.
The Prosecution, therefore, pleaded with the Court to remand the accused persons, while the investigation continued.
GNA