Three persons have been remanded in police custody for kidnapping a 37-year-old mason.
The accused persons — 39-year-old trader Kwabena Awere, 37-year-old mason Emmanuel Nyarko Boadi and 33-year-old farmer Nurudeen Adams were hauled before the Accra Circuit Court on various charges.
The first and second accused pleaded not guilty to two counts of robbery and kidnapping.
Adams, however, denied the charge of abetment.
Meanwhile, four others are said to be on the run.
The facts before the court indicate that the complainant Roland Clottey is a mason and lives at Ablekuma-Joma, the same area as the accused persons.
On July 27, 2021, after sending his children to school with his unregistered 125 Royal Motorbike, the complainant decided to service his exhaust pipe at a nearby fitting shop.
Coincidentally, two accused persons, Awere, Boadi and four others now at large, also happened to be there servicing their two vehicles and two motorbikes.
According to the prosecution, Awere got down from his car, started beating the complainant, and pointed him out to the rest that he had torn a banner.
The others then joined Awere and subjected the complainant to beatings.
They later put him in Awere’s car and drove him with his motorbike to Adams (third accused), their boss, at his ranch in Joma.
Adams ordered Awere (First Accused), Boadi (Second Accused), and their accomplices to take the complainant’s Itel and Tecno mobile phones from him.
Again, they subjected him to another round of severe beatings.
He was then ordered to carry a log on his shoulders for strenuous exercise.
The accused persons, who felt powerful at this point, videoed him while he was going through the ordeal.
The prosecution said the accused persons and their accomplices tied the complainant up against an electric pole and demanded a ransom of GH¢2,000.00 before he could gain his freedom.
The complainant’s brothers, who are witnesses in this case, heard of the incident and went there to rescue him but were also attacked in the process by the accused persons and their accomplices, with their motorbikes seized.
“Moses, together with Teiko, went to pay GH¢1,000.00 before the complainant was released to them. He subsequently reported the matter to the police with a video footage where Boadi was captured,” the prosecution narrated.
Nurudeen, the third accused, was arrested and granted bail but later jumped bail while Awere and Boadi were arrested at their hideout.
The accused persons were charged with offences and put before the court.
Efforts are underway to arrest the other accomplices.