Alleged gold swapping gang before court
A gang of three on Wednesday appeared before the Accra Circuit Court for allegedly robbing an Israeli of his gold valued GH¢2,587,500.00 and later swapping it.
The Court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Essandoh granted Laminu Maikankan, Joseph Ansong and Ali Asiedu a GH¢3 million bail with two common sureties who are to be public servants earning not less than GH¢1500.00.
They all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime to wit robbery and robbery.
They will make their next appearance on September 1, 2020.
Prosecuting, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Rita A. Yeboah told the Court that Maikankan, 37 claims to be a National Security Operative, Ansong, 39 is a Community Protection Assistant, and Asiedu, 39, driver.
She said Mr Meiri Giora, the complainant is an Israeli based in Belgium but currently lives in Ghana and on August 18, 2020, Asiedu led the group to AA Minerals at Dzorwulu to rob the complainant of his ten kilogrammes (KG) of gold valued GH¢2,587,500.00.
DSP Yeboah said the accused arrested Mr Giora with his driver, a witness in the case, and handed them to the Police together with two bars of gold which they claimed the complainant had stolen from one Actihilles Veris on July 11, 2020, at Adesa Hotel-East Legon
Prosecution said police investigations uncovered that on August 14, 2020, the complainant bought the 10 Kilograms of gold from one Nana Kwadwo of AA Minerals.
She said after the arrest, the accused kept the complainant and his driver in one car and the gold in another car to enable them to swap the fake bars of gold that were in their possession with the genuine ones.
DSP Yeboah said preliminary investigations by the police revealed that the exhibits they gave to police was fake, so they were invited by the Accra Regional Police Criminal Investigations Department on August 18, 2020 to assist in investigations.
She said whilst the accused insisted the gold bars were what they had seized from the complainant, the complainant denied it was same.
The prosecution said a search conducted by police in a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle belonging to the accused revealed a similar box that contained the alleged fake gold and a six 9mm live ammunitions.
DSP Yeboah said a colt pistol without magazine was also found on Maikankan.
Source: GNA