Two policemen, civilians granted bail over illegal sale of weapons

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An Accra Circuit Court on Tuesday granted a ¢500,000.00 bail with two sureties, each to four persons including two policemen over an alleged sale of weapons.

The Court ordered that the sureties should be public servants earning not less than GHC3,000.00.

General Lance Corporals Emmanuel Yaw Abusah, and Sulemana Yusif, both Police officers, pleaded not guilty to abetment of crime.

Their accomplices Samed Yusif Abdul alias ‘‘Matata’’ and Francis Dekpor also pleaded not guilty to possession of arms and ammunition without lawful authority.

The four will make their next appearance on January 5, 2021.

Police Inspector Eric Pobee told the court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh that the complainants are Policemen with the Greater Accra Regional Police Command.

He said the General Lance Corporals Abusah and Sulemana are police officers stationed at the National Visibility office at the Police Headquarters.

He said Abdul is a trader and resident at Nima Gutter while Dekpor, a driver stays at Danfa-Kweiman within the Greater Accra region.

The prosecution said on December 17, 2020, the Regional Police Command was informed that a group of people had in their possession arms and ammunitions for sale.

Inspector Pobee said the Command’s Detailed Intelligence Team tracked the group and feigned interest in the transaction.

They later met Abusah and Dekpor on board a taxi cab but they could not supply the arms and ammunition with the excuse that their supplier was not available.

The Prosecution said the two also told the Police team that they wanted to be convinced that the buyer was serious, so re-scheduled the next day for the transaction at Alajo.

Mr Pobee said on reaching Alajo the next day and they found, Samed on his motorbike parked and waiting as his accomplices led the detectives to a mechanic shop, where Sulemana also arrived on a motorbike carrying a bag containing a Tarius pistol with serial number TGM01971, leading to his arrest.

Inspector Pobee said the police retrieved 38 rounds of AK47 Rifle ammunition, 59 rounds of M16 ammunition, 58 rounds G3 ammunition and 17 rounds of 9mm ammunition during a search on the accused persons.

He said the Team also found additional three rounds of 9mm ammunition, later on, the suspects, adding that, during interrogation, Sulemana claimed ownership of the pistol and the ammunition.

Mr Pobee said Sulemana also confessed that he had the ammunition from someone from Togo and efforts were underway to get that person.

Their counsel pleaded for bail and told the court that their clients had fixed places of abode and have people of substance to stand surety for them.

The prosecution objected to the bail application with the reasons that there were four more weapons to be retrieved from the accused and also they would tamper with investigations when granted bail, however, the bail was granted.

Source: GNA