An Accra Circuit Court presided over by His Honour, Mr. Aboagye Tandoh is on the heels of the investigators handling the case involving the seven suspects arrested for possessing firearms in the Northern Region.
In court yesterday, DSP Aidan Derry, the prosecutor in the case told the court that the investigator was still yet to finish with his investigations which will pave the way for trial to commence.
The investigator, after failing to tell the court how much time he need to finish his investigation, was charged by the court to ensure he finishes his investigations by the next adjourned date.
The suspects are Issah Suale, (mason); Mahama Saani Muftawu, (trader); Iddrisu Ibrahim, (teacher, at large); Mohammed Alhassan, (nurse) and Alhassan Abdul-Dayan, (teacher-trainee), Valley View University.
The rest are Abdulai Ibrahim Wumpini; Umar Ibrahim Alhassan, (both auto mechanics) and Andani Mohammed Toufiq, (teacher). The case has been adjourned to February 1, 2016.
Prior to the case being adjourned, counsel for the accused persons, Mr Alex Mantey Osei told the court that the police frustrate him anytime he wants to meet his clients.
He added that, their freedom is being curtailed by the attitude of the security apparatus. Counsel also told the court that the health of his clients is also a source of concern since some of them have been coughing blood.
The trial judge gave an order to the police to ensure that steps are taken to ensure their health needs are catered for, while counsel is also allowed access to his clients.
Charges
Suale, Muftawu and Ibrahim are standing trial for possessing firearms and being engaged in unlawful military training exercise, while the rest have been charged for abetting the three.
They were arrested on December 24, last year at Dzantong-Daboise, near Salaga in the Northern Region, but they all denied the offence when they appeared in court on January 5.
Their bail application by their lawyer was rejected at the previous hearing and they have since been remanded in police custody.
Prosecuting, DSP Dery said all the accused persons, except Wumpini, are members of Tabligh Brothers – an international mobile preachers' wing of Sunni Muslims.
Background
He said on December 24, Suale, Muftawu and Ibrahim arrived at Dzantong-Daboise on two motorbikes with a pack tied to one of the motorbikes.
DSP Dery stated that the youth in the community suspected them to be 'Sakawa' ritual murderers looking for a place to bury the corpse of a murdered person.
He said as a result, the youth arrested Suale and Muftawu, while Ibrahim escaped, adding that two AK 47 assault rifles were found to be the content of the package.
The prosecutor said soon after the other accused persons surfaced to rescue those arrested by the youth.
The police officer said during a search, 16 AK 47 ammunition shells were found concealed in a big bag in the room of Alhassan, while Mohammed also had a Toshiba laptop computer containing videos and documentaries of Islamic Militant activities.
Suale, Muftawu and Ibrahim told the police that they went to the village to practice how to fire the weapons.
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