Police Denies Involvement In Robbery

Constable Benjamin Yao Blejumah one the six Policemen charged with five others for robbing a Ghanaian businessman of 53,000 dollars on Monday denied claims by the prosecution that he together with the others planned to rob the complainant, Mr Kweku Duah of his money. He also refuted claims that he took part in the assault of the complainant while at the Relax Cot hotel. Constable Blejumah was continuing with his evidence in cross-examination by Ms Cynthia Lamptey, Chief State Attorney at the ongoing trial at an Accra Circuit Court. Constable Blejumah together with Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Kwapong, Chief Inspector (CI) Thomas Adu, Sergeant John Adjapong and Corporal Lawrence Dennis Quansah are being held on charges of conspiracy. The rest are Aams Amanor, Kwasi Tawiah, Peter Kwame Gyasi aka Kwame Tawiah and Bismark Ampofo. Apart from DSP Kwapong, the rest are facing additional charge of robbery. They have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. Constable Blejumah said he was standing in front of the reception when the Benz car entered the hotel with its occupant including the soldier, CI Adu, Sergeant John Agyepong and Corporal Dennis Quansah. He said when they got down, CI Adu walked towards his direction and asked him (Blejumah) whether he was on duty at the hotel which he replied in the negative. Mr Ellis Owusu Fordjour, Counsel for DSP Kwapong during cross examination asked Constable Blejumah who told him that DSP Kwapong had instructed them to go and cause the arrest of the complainant. Constable Blejumah said he got the information from Lance Corporal Muntari. Mr Fordjour asked whether he (Blejumah) verified to make sure that the purported instruction from DSP Kwapong for them arrest Mr Duah was true. Corporal Blejumah said �DSP Kwapong is a senior Police Officer so when he gives an instruction I cannot just get up to verify. Besides the whole system is a chain of command, if anything at all I have to pass through L/C Muntari.� Constable Blejumah also denied claims by Mr Fordjour that since he (Blejumah) was off duty there was no way his senior officer could have asked him arrest somebody. He said Policemen are always on duty and could be called upon to perform certain emergency tasks. Aams Amanor knew complainant, Mr Duah when they were both in Switzerland. Sometime, last year, Mr Duah discussed with Amanor that he was coming to Ghana to buy gold and he (Amanor) assured the complainant of assisting him to purchase the mineral. Consequently, Mr Duah arrived in Ghana on February 1, this year, and checked in at Relax Court Hotel at Dzorwulu in Accra. He got in touch with Amanor who in turn informed him about the people who would sale the gold. On February 2, this year, at about 10:00pm Amanor and Jeffery, now at large, who was then armed with a pistol, Gyasi, and a Nigerian now at large, went to the Hotel room of Mr Duah under the pretext of transacting gold business, which was to take place between the complainant and Jeffery. Before the meeting, Jeffery and the Nigerian had arranged with Amanor, who had also instructed Chief Inspector Adu, Sgt Adjapong, Corporal Quansah and a soldier, who is at large, to go to the hotel.