Court remands 10 suspects over series of rural bank robberies

An Accra High Court (Criminal Court 5) has remanded 10 persons alleged to be part of a criminal gang behind multiple rural bank robberies across the country.

The suspects, making their second appearance before the court on Thursday, were remanded into lawful custody to reappear on October 22, 2025.

The accused are Kwesi Agyei (aka Cobra), Ibrahim Alhassan, Samuel Appiah (aka Kwesi Mugu), Francis Acquah (aka Preman), David Obuobi (aka Wasty), Martin Akansina (aka One Billion), Nana Yaw Frimpong (aka Mystical), Kojo Atingawo (aka Borga), Samuel Akwasi Gyan, and Stephen Sey.

Two other suspects, Kwabena Owusu-Ansah and Kwame Sekyere, the alleged leader of the gang, are on the run, with Sekyere reportedly residing in Canada.

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The 10 accused face 14 counts, including conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, and causing unlawful damage. The court has yet to take their pleas.

According to police investigations, the robbery syndicate was formed in 2024 with the aim of targeting rural banks nationwide. The gang is alleged to have carried out 13 robberies across the Ashanti, Western, Central, Eastern, and Ahafo Regions, resulting in the death of a police officer.

Police have also recovered several weapons and ammunition since the suspects’ arrest.

During Thursday’s hearing, Assistant State Attorney David Beecham requested a two-week remand to allow further investigations, opposing bail on grounds of the severity of the offences and the use of offensive weapons.

However, defence lawyers Andy Vortia and Dr Francis Adjei Osei opposed the motion, arguing that the accused had already been remanded for two weeks and that their pleas should have been taken.

Mr Vortia stressed that the accused were presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that the continuous remand amounted to unlawful punishment.

In her ruling, the trial judge held that given the gravity of the charges, the court was not convinced the accused would appear for trial if granted bail, and therefore remanded them into lawful custody to reappear on October 22.