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The first of three Prosecution Witnesses (PW1), Frank Owusu testifying in connection with the recent robbery attack at the Silver Bird Cinema at the West Hills Mall, Weija, has told an Accra Circuit Court he was tied down with a 'Bandana' by the robbers.

Bandana is a large kerchief, usually colorful and used either as headgear or as a handkerchief.

PW1, in his testimony told the court presided over by Mr. Francis Obiri that on Sunday, May, 24, 2015, between the hours of 2:00 and 2:30pm, two armed men, Sulley Jali, 24, (A1), truck pusher and Stephen Ayombah aka Shoe Maker, 20, (A2 ) attacked him at the Sliver Bird Cinema.

He said, while A1 was holding a scissors, A2 was holding a gun which he pointed at his head and said he was going to kill him.

According to him, while A2 was threatening to kill him, A1 started to pack two laptops and his smart mobile phone at the Cinema. He said, after pushing and heckling him, they walked him towards the accounts office and ordered him to open the door.

Pw1 told the court that, because that was not his office, he did not have the keys, so was unable to open the door. He said, A2 again pointed the gun at him while A1 tied him down with Bandana.

He further told the court that while on the floor, two people who install machines at the Cinema came in, but he heard a gunshot and realized someone fell to the ground.

According to him, they tried to escape through the Cinema Ventilation unit and in the process shot him at his right wrist and left arm.

He said he later escaped from the top floor where the incident happened to the ground floor where he met one of his supervisors who together with others worked their way out and arrested the suspect.

He told Mr. Obiri he was admitted at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and later went to the Weija police station and a medical form was issued him, which was tendered before the court.

In their cross examination of PW1, while A1 was fumbling with his questions, A2 told the court that, no phone was found on him when he was arrested. He said, he did not point a gun on anybody as alleged by PW1. He also told the court that the witness was not being truthful to the court and that it was the first time of seeing PW1.

PW2 testifies

A security officer at the Cinema, Godwin Blankson, PW2, also in his testimony told the court that, he was in the company of one of the supervisors at the cinema when they saw PW1 descending the staircase in a pool of blood.

Police investigations

DSP Ernest Acheampong said the police attended to a call and managed to arrest the two, indicating that one foreign pistol with 10 rounds of ammunition, an empty shell and a pair of scissors were retrieved from them.

DSP Acheampong stated that the accused persons who were shooting indiscriminately at the premises of Silver Bird Cinema, shot Mr. Owusu and Adomako Mensah and they were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

The prosecutor said the accused persons stole the said mobile phone belonging to Mr. Owusu.

He said that investigations showed that Jali, who is currently on bail, had been involved in a similar robbery and that the case was pending determination.

DSP Acheampong further told the court that the Shoe Maker claimed he took the pistol from a Fulani man at Sandema and decided to rob with it to enable him get GH¢1,500 to settle the hospital bills for his pregnant wife who had been diagnosed of Hepatitis B.

According to the police officer, further investigations disclosed that Jali had after his court bail, been a regular patron of the West Hills Mall and took advantage of that to locate the accounts office where they targeted.

Charges

The accused persons are said to have on May 24, conspired and robbed Francis Owusu of his Samsung Galaxy Mega G3 mobile phone valued at $500.

The prosecution, led by DSP Ernest Acheampong, told the court that the accused persons had intentionally and unlawfully caused harm to Mr. Owusu and one Albert Adomako Mensah through gunshots.

The accused persons have denied the charges of conspiracy, robbery and the two counts of causing harm preferred against them.