German nurse kidnappers to appear before High Court
Accra, Aug. 4, GNA - The trial of seven persons allegedly
involved in the kidnapping of a German nurse, would now take
place at an Accra High Court in September, a Chief State
Attorney said on Tuesday.
Ms Pennelope Ann Mamata, who disclosed this before Accra
Circuit Court where the accused are standing trial, said the
Kofi Annan ICT Centre in Accra had also declared its
readiness to provide assistance for part of the trial to be
heard via video conferencing.
The accused, Godwin Husunugbo, aka Shunton, Isaac Amuzu,
James Afari, aka Bob, Roland Gyan, aka Alvin Walker, Dennis
Asamoah, aka Bigi and Kwadwo Kwarteng have pleaded not
guilty to conspiracy, robbery and kidnapping.
Daniel Abebrese, aka Pius, an accomplice is at large.
They accused persons were said to have lured Sonaj Kaiser, a
58 year-old German nurse, to Ghana, kidnapped and assaulted
her and demanded a ransom of 150,000 Euros.
Ms Mamata said the complainant had indicated that she would
not be able to visit Ghana to testify but her country’s
Foreign Affairs Ministry had indicated its readies to
conduct the trial via video conference, so that the
complainant's evidence would be obtained.
The defence team, however, prayed the Circuit Court to admit
Husunugbo to bail because he had tuberculosis and was
coughing badly.
Ms Mamata, however, asked defence team to provide a medical
report on the ailment of the accused and file a motion to
buttress his argument.
The court agreed to the request of the State Attorney and
ordered the Police investigator in the case to send the
accused person to hospital, saying, "The accused persons
need to be alive so that they could defend themselves".
It remanded the accused persons to prison custody to
reappear on August 25.
The prosecution said for sometime, Gyan and Asamoah had been
chatting with the victim on the internet claiming that they
were British nationals, resident in Ghana.
Gyan therefore demanded from the victim 5,000 Euros. She
offered him 2,000 Euros and this was cashed by Asamoah
through Western Union in Cape Coast.
The prosecution said on January 2, Gyan and Asamoah lured
the victim to Ghana and she was met on arrival by Husunugbo
who picked her and sent her to a house occupied by Abebrese
and Boateng at Taifa in Accra.
In the house the victim was brutally assaulted and robbed of
her belongings namely two mobile phones, a canon digital
camera all valued at 658 Euros as well an amount of 400
Euros.
The prosecution said Gyan received GH¢120 as his share while
the rest received GH¢ 80 each.
They further demanded a ransom of 150,000 Euros from the
victim's son before releasing her.
The victim's son after agreeing to pay 35,000 Euros, alerted
the German Police who also informed the German Embassy in
Ghana.
The German police, together with Ghanaian security
personnel, arrested the accused persons.
GNA
