Four arrested over James Town bullion van robbery
Four persons have been arrested in connection to the James Town bullion van robbery that resulted in the death of a police officer.
Collins Addae aka Kekye; Ebenezer Gyimah, aka Peace; Musa Kamara, 26; and his brother Suleman Ketah, 26, alias 69, both from Guinea, are said to be on the police wanted list.
They were arrested in a joint police operation by officials from Accra and Kyebi.
The suspects were arrested at their hideouts in a mining site at Kyebi, the Daily Guide Newspaper reported on Monday, June 28.
Meanwhile, the police are on a manhunt for one other.
Details of the robbery
According to the police, unidentified armed men on several motorbikes crossed the bullion van, which was on a pay/collection errand, at about 11:00 hours at Adedenkpo, a suburb of James Town.
The robbers shot at the police officer on escort duty on the van, killing him instantly.
The armed men also fired sporadically in the air and on the driver, who sustained gunshot wounds.
A hawker was also killed by the armed men when one of two ladies on the bullion van stepped out and ran in the deceased seller’s direction.
Both ladies on the van, tellers of MON TRAN, escaped unhurt but were sent to the hospital to be treated for trauma.
Crime scene experts have visited the scene of the crime and are going through the necessary procedures.
Reactions after the robbery
Minister for the Interior Ambrose Dery initially appealed to an individual in possession of closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage of the shooting to release it to the police.
Mr Dery had said that a man believed to be the owner of (CCTV) device was unwilling to assist in investigations.
Mr Dery emphasized that no individual in the country should be killed in such a manner and wants the culprits brought to book.
The minister also expressed concern over the protection that banks and other financial institutions provided to transit vehicles that cart their money and the individuals who carry out the exercise.
He observed that such vehicles did not provide the police, money, and other persons the needed protection, thereby exposing them to easy attacks by armed robbers.
He reiterated calls by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), James Oppong-Boanuh, for banks and financial institutions to ensure they conformed to the standardized operational requirement in carting huge sums of money.
Meanwhile, the IGP has given financial institutions a June 30 ultimatum to acquire armoured vans.
Failure to provide fortified vehicles for carting currencies would result in the police withdrawing personnel from guarding bullion vans.
Consequently, the Ghana Association of Bankers has assured the public that it would comply.
The Association has also assured that it would continue to work closely with the various security agencies and the Bank of Ghana (BoG) in ensuring adherence to the highest standards.