The two police officers attached to the SWAT Unit of the Accra Regional Police Command, who were arrested for their alleged involvement in several robberies, have been accused of snatching cars at Ashaiman.
The two are General Corporal Bismark Ntim aka Striker, 32, and General Lance Corporal Francis Opoku Gyau.
Their alleged civilian accomplices were named as Michael Adjei Donkor aka Abrefie, 36, driver, Nana Ntim Djakari aka Nana Okyere, 29.
They were said to have snatched a Toyota Corolla and Daewoo Kalos taxi cabs from their owners at La and Sakumono respectively before they were arrested by the police upon a tip-off.
A National Security operative, Erasmus Adama Nketia aka Alhaji is said to be a member of the gang.
They were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and robbery but pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The accused persons were remanded into custody by the Ashaiman Circuit court, presided over by Gabriel Mate Teye.
The Ashaiman Divisional Police Command was said to have received information that Boateng and Nana Okyere had sent a Daewoo taxi cab with registration number GT6982-14 to a spraying shop at Atadeka, a suburb of Ashaiman for spraying.
They fixed a new number plate -GN6706-15 on the car and drove it away.
On June 1, 2016, police received information that Boateng had again sent Toyota Corolla saloon car with registration number GW 2847 to the spraying shop.
On June 4, 2016, police laid ambush and arrested the accused person at the said spraying shop when he attempted to fix a new number plate GR8599-15 on the said car.
A search conducted on him revealed a roadworthiness certificate and insurance sticker.
In his caution statement, Boateng confessed to snatching the Daewoo Kalos taxi cab with registration number GT8762-14 from its driver at Sakumono.
He further mentioned Opoku-Gyau, Striker, Abrefi and Erasmus as his accomplices and disclosed that he sold the car to Nana Okyere.
During investigations, the police contacted Robert Adongo, the driver of the Daewoo Kalos taxi cab, who disclosed that on May 18, 2016, Boateng hired his services to transport him from Dawhenya to Sakumono.
On reaching Fridays Spot, a popular drinking spot at Sakumono, Opoku-Gyau and Striker, who were dressed in police uniforms, together with Abrefi and Erasmus, arrested him and Boateng for fraud and forced them into car.
The accused persons drove him to a destination where they forcibly collected the ignition key to his taxi cab and forced him out of the car.
When he went back to the location, his taxi was nowhere to be found.
He immediately lodged a formal complaint with the Sakumono Police and while the police were investigating the matter, they gathered that they had been arrested in Accra for similar offence.
Investigations revealed that Boateng, Opoku-Gyau, Striker, Abrefi and Erasmus snatched the Toyota Corolla Saloon car with registration number GW2847-15 from a Nigerian national at La Beach.
Boateng, Opoku-Gyau, Striker and Abrefi were arrested by Kaneshie Police for their alleged involvement in several cases.
Nana Okyere, in his caution statement, admitted he bought the Daewoo Kalos taxi cab from Erasmus for GH₵5,500.
The Daewoo Kalos and the Toyota Corolla cars have been retrieved by the police.
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