Two persons remanded for stealing four taxis

April 14, 2011 (Back Page)

Story: Mabel Aku Baneseh
TWO persons who allegedly robbed their victims of their taxis at gunpoint were yesterday remanded in custody by the Accra Fast Track High Court.
The accused, Mustapha Ibin Asmiu, a labourer, and Kwame Owusu, alias Nana Kwame, who were charged with conspiracy and four counts of robbery each, pleaded not guilty.
They are to reappear on May 6, 2011.
The accused persons are also alleged to have used tape cords and knives to overpower their victims.
The facts of the case are that between July and August 2010, the Kotobabi District Police Command received a series of complaints from taxi drivers that their cars had been snatched from them at gunpoint.
Consequently, the command intensified its patrols and mounted several road checks to clamp down on the perpetrators of the alleged crimes.
Around 1.45 a.m. on August 9, 2010, a police patrol team on snap check duties, assisted by four neighbourhood watchdog members from Maamobi, intercepted a Daewoo taxi, with registration number GC 3830-09, which had the two accused persons on board.
A search conducted on the accused led to the discovery of tape cords and a toy pistol. They were subsequently arrested.
During interrogation, Asmiu and Owusu confessed to the offence and stated that they had succeeded in stealing four taxis and money amounting to GH¢157 from their victims.
According to the accused persons, their fifth victim was the driver of the taxi on which they had been intercepted.
The two later led the police to recover a Tata Indigo taxi, with registration number GR 7923-09, and a Geo Prism taxi, with registration number GW 6162 U, from Abeka Lapaz and Kotobabi Abavana Down, both suburbs of Accra.
The remaining two taxis were recovered by the police later.