Three persons, suspected members of Western Togoland group, who allegedly invaded the Mepe and Aveyime police stations in the Volta Region, and made away with 10 AK 47 rifles, have been remanded by Circuit Court in Accra.
The accused, Francis Kudzo Wor, 71, Samuel Wor and Kobla Kove, a 67-year-old fisherman, have been charged with three counts of conspiracy, stealing, participating in campaign of a prohibited organisation, namely Western Togoland and causing unlawful damage.
The pleas have been preserved and they are to reappear before the court presided by Ms Eva Bannerman Williams on October 15.
Mr Theophilus Donkor, a defence lawyer, argued that accused were innocent and nowhere near the scene on the day of the incident.
He said Kove, attended a funeral only to return to be arrested by the police.
According to counsel, the state had violated the 48 hour rule, and had spent more than four days in police custody.
Mr Donkor argued that when the police conducted a search in the room of accused, they did not find anything incriminating, and that “accused are just being used as scape goats”.
He said Francis and Kove were diabetic and were unable to take their medication because they were in custody.
Defence counsel said Samuel had an elderly mother and father under his care, and also breadwinner for his family.
Mr Donkor said the continued detention of accused for an offence they had not committed would be a great injustice to them.
Prosecution led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sylvester Asare, said the police were still conducting investigations into the matter.
He said accused, who are residents and citizens of Aveyime in the Volta Region, were also members of the Western Togoland group.
He said on September 25, this year, accused and others now at large, numbering about 20, armed with offensive weapons such as guns and cutlasses besieged the Aveyime and Mepe police stations.
Prosecution said accused overpowered the personnel on duty, vandalised properties at both stations and made away with 10 AK47 assault rifles and a police patrol vehicle.
ASP Asare said accused and their accomplices fled the scene on board the police vehicle, amidst firing into the air to ward off members of the community.
He said accused and accomplices later abandoned the police vehicle at a secluded place and went into hiding, but on September 26, accused were arrested at their hideout at Aveyime. – GNA
