“WO”, 5 others stand trial for robbery
By Helena Selby
An unemployed and five others, are standing trial at a Tema circuit court for allegedly robbing a driver on his building site at gun point, near Ashaiman.
The accused persons are Charles Asumaning Bimpong, alias W.O, Aziz Bashiru, Godwin Quashie, Nii Dortey, Foster Akutey Manotey and Samuel Sah Anim, alias Tiger, allegedly attacked the complainant and his labourers with guns, cutlass, clubs and sticks.
The accused persons are alleged to have mercilessly beaten the complainant, who couldn’t get the chance to escape, till he began bleeding, after which they made away with an amount of GH¢2000, five shovels, four pick axes, a cutlass and a head pan.
All accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit crime, contrary to section 23 (1) and 149 of the criminal offences Act, 1960 Act 29 before the court presided over by Mr. Eric Kyei Baffour.
They have been remanded into custody to re-appear before the court on September 27, 2012. The facts of the case are that on April, 2012, at about 11:00 am the complainant visited his site with some masons and labourers to help start the building project.
The Senior State Attorney, Mrs. Rita Doko, told the court that the complainant conveyed the masons, numbering about four, in his Hyundai H.200 mini bus with registration number VR 111-12.
According to her, the complainant parked the vehicle at the site, leaving the said amount of money in a black polythene bag, five shovels, four pick axes, a cutlass, one measuring tape and other personal effects.
She said the complainant then ordered the labourers to offload the building materials while he went around greeting the other land owners who were working on nearby lands.
“Suddenly, some men, numbering about 25, emerged from the bush towards the complainant, armed with guns, cutlass, clubs and sticks.
The complainant noticed that they were being led at the time by one of the thieves who gave orders in the course of the operation” the prosecutor added.
She stated that the men who were behaving violently ordered the complainant and his men to stop work and asked of the owner of the vehicle which the complainant owned up.
The Senior State Attoney emphasized that the men then asked the complainant to move the vehicle away from where it was parked, but before he could do so, they pounced on him and his labourers and beat them up mercilessly.
She narrated to the court that the labourers managed to escape but the complainant was beaten, adding that the men used a cutlass to hit his right jaw and also used the blunt side of the gun and cutlass to hit his head.
According to the prosecutor, the complainant had a cut on his forehead, from which he bled profusely. Additionally, the men repeatedly hit his arm and wrist with their clubs which resulted in cuts with blood oozing out.
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