Two cops, three others arrested over Kwame-Danso robbery attack
Two policemen and three civilians have been arrested by the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Command for allegedly aiding the robbery attack that led to the death of a police constable at Kwame Danso, near Atebubu, in the Brong Ahafo Region.
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That brings to six the number of suspects arrested so far in connection with the crime.
Five of the suspects include the two policemen whose names are being withheld, Abdul Aziz Abdulai, Awudu Abdulai and Asafo Adjei.
They were arrested at dawn yesterday after Mallam Samaha Zaaki, the prime suspect, had mentioned their names during interrogation over the roles they played in the robbery.
Constable Frank Edu Eklu was shot and killed on Tuesday, June 7, 2016 when he was escorting market women in a bus from Kwame Danso to the Atebubu Market.
The robbers took away his AK 47 assault rifle and fled into the bush after the incident.
Police investigations led to the arrest of the prime suspect in the crime, Mallam Zaaki, 34, at his residence at Kwame Danso, and after further investigations, the police arrested the other five suspects yesterday.
Roles
According to a source close to the Brong Ahafo Regional Police Command, Zaaki had told the police that one of the two policemen supplied him with the AK 47 ammunition that was retrieved from his house when he was arrested.
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The other policeman is said to have joined the three civilians to rob the passengers, in the course of which Constable Eklu was killed.
The source said Mallam Zaaki himself was alleged to have monitored the movement of vehicles at the lorry park, after which he informed the robbers about the particular vehicle to attack.
Initial information indicated that the robbers had fled after killing Constable Eklu and taking his AK 47 rifle, without robbing the traders.
However, the source told the Daily Graphic that latest information indicated that the traders were robbed of their money, mobile phones and other valuables.
Items retrieved
A number of items, including two single-barrelled guns, 20 live cartridges of different kinds and bundles of fake local and foreign currencies in various denominations neatly packed in a black suitcase, a machete and mobile phones were retrieved from Mallam Zaaki when he was arrested.
A further search at his residence led to the retrieval of other items, including one locally made pistol, six rounds of pistol ammunition, six rounds of AK 47 ammunition, four live cartridges and four Techno mobile phones.
Identification parade
Although the suspects were available, the source said the police wanted to hide their identities, since they intended to organise an identification parade.
The Kwame Danso and Yeji areas in the Brong Ahafo Region have become notorious for armed robbery incidents of late.
On Monday, June 7, seven suspected armed robbers who were not connected with Constable Eklu’s killing were arrested at Yeji and Kwame Danso.
The robbers, who were on the police wanted list, were arrested in a swoop.