Donkorkrom Cop-Robbers Dare Prosecutor

The case involving the two serving police officers who attempted robbing the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) bullion van at Donkorkrom in the Eastern Region took a dramatic twist yesterday when one of the accused persons dared the prosecutor to swear.

According to General Lance Corporal Daniel Kissi Abrokwah, Chief Inspector Robert Gyamfi must swear if the case docket he claims had been forwarded to the Attorney-General for advice was not in his possession at the court.

G/L/Cpl. Abrokwah was emphatic that he had seen the original docket before C/Insp. Gyamfi.

At yesterday’s sitting, the prosecution once again prayed the court for an adjournment of the case because the docket was still with the AG.

The prosecution has since October 31, 2016 been praying the court for an adjournment to enable the AG to advice them in respect of the case.

L/Cpl. Elvis Mensah, who is in the dock with a civilian accomplice Hafisu Mohammed aka Danjuma, did not also spare the prosecution.

He said the ballistic report in respect of the case was ready but it was not before the court.

G/L/Cpl. Mensah explained that the case investigator had told a police panel that the report was ready, insisting that a lot of things were being hidden from them.

The Magistrate Stephen Owusu asked Abrokwah how he got to know that the original case docket was in the possession of the prosecutor, stressing that normally, a duplicate copy of the docket is sent to the AG whilst the prosecutor keeps the original.

He argued that the police had concluded their investigation and forwarded the evidence to the AG and that same would be brought before the court.

In the view of the judge, it was wrong for the accused persons to interfere in the affairs of the police, indicating that there would not be any ambush litigation in the trial.

Mr. Owusu assured the two cops not to be worried because all the evidence would be made available before the court.

The court held that the accused persons must not jump the gun and urged them to engage the services of a lawyer.

However, the third accomplice Danjuma told the court that he had no issues.

The case was adjourned until January 10, 2017.

The three are before the court over the death of Daniel K. Sarpong, 52, the driver of the GCB Bullion Van with registration GN 1354-15 in the Donkorkrom robbery.

According to the prosecution, the two, General Lance Corporals Solomon Elvis Mensah and Daniel Kissi Abrokwah, had the intention to rob the vehicle which had always come to Donkorkrom to supply money to the bank.

“The two accused policemen, who were on duty at the GN and GCB Banks respectively, decided to exercise their plan of robbing the bullion van of any cash it was carrying,” according to the prosecution.

Charges

The prosecution, led by DSP Abraham Annor, told the court that the three on August 16, this year, at Mame-Krobo, near Tease in the Eastern Region, conspired and acted together with a common criminal objective to commit crime to wit murder.

The two policemen have been slapped with additional charges of attempted robbery and murder.

In the murder case, the prosecution stated that the cops at the same place and date caused the death of the driver of the Nkawkaw GCB Bank bullion van.

The prosecutor, DSP Annor, disclosed that on the said day, the policemen discussed the plan to rob the van with Danjuma, a cabbie who is their friend.

He said the policemen waylaid the van at a spot between Tease and Mame-Krobo, each armed with an AK 47 assault rifle at about 10:30 am, stressing that Danjuma drove his vehicle towards Ekye Amanfrom to monitor the arrival of the van.