Hearts And Kotoko Unite...

A former Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, yesterday told the Accra circuit court, presided over by Mr Francis Obiri, that he could not identify by face the armed robbers who had attacked him in his house because they wore face masks. Consequently, he said, he could not tell whether the four accused persons before the court were those who had attacked him. Mr Kan-Dapaah said this when he was being cross-examined by counsel for one of the accused persons, Mr Augustine Gyamfi. Each of the four accused persons was represented by a counsel. The accused persons are Aaron Apau, Joseph Gato, Gabriel Donkor and Kofi Rabby who had earlier pleaded not guilty to the charge of conspiracy to rob and robbery. Mr Gyamfi pointed out to Mr Kan-Dapaah that �these were not the people who came to your house�. He suggested to Mr Kan-Dapaah that �by implication you cannot identify the people in the witness box�, and Mr Kan-Dapaah said yes. Mr Kan-Dapaah explained that �the trauma was such that I cannot tell the height but one was taller than the other three�. Mr Gyamfi then asked Mr Kan-Dapaah whether the tall one was among those in the witness box and the witness said no, adding that the robber was much taller than all the four people in the box. He said although he did not see the faces of the armed robbers, he could recollect their height and structure. Evidence Earlier, Mr Kan-Dapaah, who was the first prosecution witness, had been led in his evidence by a Chief State Attorney, Mr Rexford Wiredu, and he said the robbery occurred on September 6, 2012 after he had returned home from a television programme. He said on reaching his house, he tooted his horn for the security guard to open the gate. He said the security guard opened the gate and when he entered the house, he decided to pray for some seconds before stepping out of his car, adding that just as he was about to undertake that exercise, the front door of his car was forcibly opened. �The person who opened the door pointed a gun at me,� he said. Mr Kan-Dapaah said about that time another person also opened the door behind him and a third person asked that he surrender the money he was holding. He said his response was, �What money?� He said one of the armed robbers walked in front of the door to his side and asked him to get out of the car and empty his pockets, which he obliged. He said the armed robber continued to ask for more money, while another armed robber, who had opened the door behind him, took his briefcase and ordered him to lie down on the floor. �On the floor, I found my security guard lying down too,� he stated. �One of the armed robbers then gave a warning shot and again shot through my car, while another shot two tyres of my car and another shot into the air,� he said. �They then asked me if I had any more money to surrender and I said yes and surrendered an envelope containing $1,000 which was an accountable imprest to Parliament, thinking that it would satisfy them,� he said. He said not satisfied, the robbers continued to ask for more money and ordered him to take them to his bedroom, which he again obliged. �While in my bedroom, I told them that I had no money and so I would deposit money somewhere for them the next day, but they refused,� he added. He said the armed robbers told him that they were aware of his huge balance at the Merchant Bank and he told them it was not true. �They then picked my laptop and jewellery belonging to my wife and asked me whether I owned a gun. I said sarcastically that I had a pistol and they asked me to bring it out,� he said. Mr Kan-Dapaah said he was asked whether he had any arms and he gave them a box of arms. �They then brought me down and took my mobile phone from me,� he said. He said his briefcase was given to him after its contents had been emptied and he was warned not to talk to the police and the press. Mr Kan-Dapaah said in the process of being taken through the ordeal by the armed robbers, his phone was mistakenly dialed and it called the former Palestinian Ambassador who, being suspicious that something might have gone wrong with the caller, rang the National Security Coordinator, Lt Col Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retd). He said immediately Col Gbevlo-Lartey called, the armed robbers took off. The security coordinator asked him to be calm and within minutes he sent soldiers and policemen to the house to help the traumatised MP. Cross-examination continues on October 17 and 18, 2013. Background A gang of robbers, on September 6, 2012, attacked and robbed Mr Kan-Dapaah at his Dansoman-Sahara residence at gunpoint, taking away money and other valuable items. The gang, numbering four, wielding guns, knives and other offensive weapons, took away a laptop, a mobile phone, jewellery belonging to his wife, a licensed pistol and $1,000. The suspects also shot into his black Land Cruiser 4�4 vehicle, destroying some tyres and the windscreen in the process.