THREE ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER (Page40)

6/08/2008
Story: Mary Mensah

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has arrested three men for attempting to assassinate a businesswoman resident at the Trassaco Valley.
The three suspects are Eric Gyimah, 22, a student, David Amponsah, 27, a baker and Raymond Nii Odartey Lathbridge, 27, an artist.
The Public Relations Officer of the CID, Inspector J. B. Darkwa, said on June 6, 2008 the complainant received a phone call from Eric to the effect that some Nigerians were planning to assassinate her so she should beware, and the line went off.
She received another call on June 29, 2008 from Eric to inform her that she should give him GH¢7,000 to be given to the Nigerians for them not to carry out their attack, since the Nigerians had received GH¢4,000 from the person who contracted them to kill her.
Eric went ahead to tell the complainant that he would give her a compact disc containing a conversation of the assassination plot to kill her.
The complainant was said to have told Eric that she could only raise GH¢4000 which Eric readily accepted so she became suspicious and reported the matter to the police.
Eric called on July 9, 2008 and told the complainant to meet him at the University Farms at Ashalley Botwe after their previous arrangement to meet to deliver the CD to her in exchange for the GH¢4,000, had not come off.
On the day of the appointment, Eric involved the other two to monitor the movement of the complainant from her residence to the agreed location while he positioned himself closer to the complainants residence.
Unknown to the three suspects the police had also laid ambush and were monitoring their movements and were arrested as soon as they got to the University Farms.
Eric in his caution statement denied the offence and mentioned one Evans as the person who contacted him to tell the complainant those stories in order to receive GH¢4,000 from her.
Further investigations by the police revealed that it was Eric who hatched the plot and requested the assistance of the two with a promise to pay them GH¢300 each if the plan went through.
Eric, however, failed to lead the police to the said Evans for his arrest but stated that he met the said Evans on his way home from school and did not know where he lived.
The three suspects have been arraigned before an Accra Circuit Court and granted bail in the sum of GH¢17,000 each. The case had been adjourned to August 13, 2008.