A young man, who allegedly facilitated robbery at Cantonments in Accra, leading to the shooting of the Marketing Administrator of the Koala Group of Companies on January 9, 2016, was remanded in police custody by the Accra Circuit Court “One” yesterday.
Rashid Bashiru, an artisan and a resident of Alajo, a suburb of Accra, is accused of helping Stanley Obaliko, one of the Koala robbers, who had already been sentenced to 39 years imprisonment in hard labour, for possessing an automatic MAB foreign made pistol and six live 9mm ammunition, without lawful authority.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges of abetment of crime and possession of firearm and ammunition.
Stanley Obaliko, who was jailed 39 years, and Okoe Quarcoe, who was also jailed 28 years, by Mr. Aboagye Tandoh in August last year, were chased and knocked down by a taxi driver when they attempted to escape on a motorbike, after shooting and robbing Ms. Lydia Horsu of her personal belongings, near the American Embassy at Cantonments, Accra, on January 9, 2016.
Other robbers, who were jailed by the Accra Circuit Court “One” alongside the two convicts (Stanley and Okoe) in what came to be known as the “Koala Shop robbery” trial included, Michael Edoe Ahiateku also known as Old Soldier, Gilbert Osabutey alias Obolo, all serving 28 years prison sentences each as well as Fredrick Sedzro Kwame jailed 20 years in hard labour.
Chief Superintendent Duuti Tuaruka told the court that Rashid Bashiru’s name was mentioned by one of the convicts, Okoe Quarcoe during investigation at the time of his arrest, as the person who supplied him and Stanley Obaliko with the weapons which they used to shoot the victim, Ms. Lydia Horsu.
He said that another convict, Michael Edoe Ahiateku also mentioned the accused as their accomplice and stated that he (accused) even drove them in his private black VW Golf saloon car at about 7pm on January 9, 2016, from the 37 Military Hospital to the Koala Shopping Centre at Cantonments for them to check the area and wage the possible attack on the shopping centre the next day.
The prosecutor said that all the efforts made by the police to arrest the accused failed as he managed to escape with another accomplice, Akpanye, until he (Rashid) was arrested at Achimota.
Mr. Aboagye Tandoh adjourned the case to May 5, 2017.
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