NDC Lawyer Dumps Akua Donkor Robbers

It is emerging that a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) legal team, Abraham Amaliba, has temporarily withdrawn his services over non-payment of legal fees in the case in which Akua Donkor has accused four persons, including her driver, of robbery.

The lawyer for two of them – Yakubu Yusif, trader/Central Regional Chairman of the GFP and Abdul Razak Shaibu, a member of the GPRTU task force – was not in court yesterday when the matter was due for hearing.

The two had told the court that their lawyer (Amaliba), who was to cross-examine the second prosecution witness -Detective Corporal Isaac Afful – had informed them that he was on his way to the court.

Amaliba’s Cash

But Vincent Aikins, lawyer for the two other accused persons – Banabas Kayase, driver/secretary of the party and Opoku Agyemang, trader – said the lawyer (Amaliba) was not coming to court.

He explained that Amaliba had said that he was no longer in the case because his clients had not paid him.

Trial judge Aboagye Tandoh advised Amaliba’s clients to do the needful thing if they want to maintain their lawyer or engage the services of a new lawyer if they so wish.

He stated that failure to adhere to the advice meant that they would cross-examine the witness themselves at the next hearing.

The court however, held that the said complaint of Amaliba was not “officially before the court.”

Witness Pops Up

Meanwhile, the police officer and witness for the prosecution whose absence for the third time on Tuesday angered Mr. Aikins, testified yesterday.

D/Cpl. Afful said he got to know the accused persons at about 8:30 pm on the day of the incident when he was asked to assist his colleagues to arrest Razak, adding that Yakubu was brought from the police cells for interrogation, and that he (Yakubu) was not part of the robbery, although he was the brain behind it.

He stated that a phone was given to Yakubu to call Razak but further investigation revealed that Yakubu communicated with the robbers to carry out the robbery.

The police officer said Yakubu had told the police that he could assist to arrest Razak and as such, called him (Razak) to come for his share of the proceeds from the robbery at a spot at Santa Maria in Accra.

At the said spot, the police attempted to arrest Razak but he escaped until he was chased and arrested on the Kwashieman-Sowutom highway, also in Accra.

Razak upon interrogation, admitted carrying out the robbery with two other accomplices.

A search in his house revealed $4,900 which he claimed was his share of the robbery, according to the witness.

Charges

The prosecution said the accused persons at about 2:30 am on December 30, 2016 at Taifa in Accra, conspired to rob Madam Akua Donkor, founder and 2016 flag bearer of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) at gunpoint and snatched her travelling bag containing  plane ticket, Ghanaian passport, voter ID card, $30,000 and GH¢3,000.

Two other alleged accomplices – Joe and Nuamah aka Lion – are currently on the run.