Police gun down 'fleeing' Bogoso robbery suspect

The police have shot and killed one of the four suspects arrested in connection with the Bogoso gold refinery armed robbery attack and the killing of a police officer.

The 32-year old Frederick Mensah commonly known as ‘Nana One’, was one of the four suspects the police picked up for stealing GH₵900,000 which belonged to the gold refinery.

• Related: 4 Arrested in Bogoso robbery

The other suspects are Mohammed Dawuda, 32; Bismarck Opoku, 34, and Charles Kwasi, alias Yaw Lee, 30.

They were said to have confessed that their gang of 10 men robbed Plat and Plume Gold Refinery Company at Bogoso.

‘Nana One’ on Friday was said to be leading the police to the location where the booty was hidden when he attempted to run away from the gun-wielding officers.

According to police sources, their only alternative was to gun him down.

He was said to have died at the Tarkwa Government hospital.

The police said ‘Nana One’ was one of the most self-confessing among all the suspects arrested and that he has provided police with a lot of information as to how the robbery was planned, where it was planned, the people who took part in the planning and the roles assigned to each person.

The Tarkwa District Court has since remanded the three other suspects into police custody to reappear May 22, 2018.

Confession

The suspects, during interrogation, allegedly said they shared GH¢450,000 out of the money stolen during the attack but denied having a hand in the killing of Lance Corporal Nicholas Duku.

The armed robbery gang, late last Sunday afternoon, attacked the refinery, shot and killed the policeman after they had successfully robbed the company of GH¢900,000.

Planning the attack

The Western Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ms Olivia Ewuraabena Adiku on Wednesday told Daily Graphic that the robbery was planned in Accra, with collaborators at Bogoso.

She stated that the suspects further told the police that the money stolen from the refinery was hidden in the bush, but when they went for it later, they found only GH¢450,000, which they shared.

She said the arrested suspects claimed their accomplices, now at large, were responsible for the murder of the policeman.

Lance Cpl Duku managed to escape after the first gunshot hit him but the robbers followed up and finished him off in another barrage of bullets.

Arrest

“These four suspects were arrested in a taxi trying to escape,” the PRO said.

Also in the taxi were the driver and another passenger.

“The four said when they took the money, they did not count it and that they hid it in a bush and when they returned to the location, they found only GH¢450,000, which they shared,” DSP Adiku said.

She said Mohammed and Mensah were tasked to be on standby to pick up the other suspects after the robbery and that the Nissan Rogue, with registration number GE 411-16, which was abandoned at the Valley Junction near Bogoso belonged to Mohammed.

She said Opoku was tasked to hide the money, while Yaw Lee was assigned to carry the money to a location for sharing.

DSP Adiku said a search on the vehicle revealed a police uniform without a name tag and a beret.

She indicated that the police were yet to know how the robbers came by the uniform.

She added that the police had picked very important leads that would help them zero in on the other six suspects who are at large.

Meanwhile, the 32 people arrested on the day of the incident have been granted bail.