Bullion Van Attack: IGP Directs DG of CID to Take Over Investigations

  

Late Constable Osei

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP, James Oppong-Boanuh has instructed the Director-General of the Criminal Investigation Department, CID to take over the investigation into the attack on a Nissan bullion van at Adedenpo, a suburb of James Town in Accra. The incident which occurred today led to the death of a police officer with others sustaining various degrees of injury. 

The Jamestown District Police Command were the first to get to the crime scene and identified the deceased Police Officer as General Constable Emmanuel Osei of the National SWAT Unit with service number 58449. 

The body of late Constable Osei was found in a pool of blood at the front seat of the van with registration number GT 8592 W.

Preliminary Investigation has uncovered that unidentified armed men on a number of motorbikes crossed the said bullion van which was on a pay/collection errand at about 11.am and shot at the police officer who was on escort duty on the van killing him instantly. The armed men also opened fire sporadically in the air and on the driver, injuring him in the process.

 The driver is said to be responding to treatment after sustaining the gunshot wounds.  

A hawker was also killed during the shooting when one of the two ladies on the MON-TRAN Company bullion van  stepped out of the van and run towards the deceased seller’s direction. Both ladies on the van, tellers of Mon-Tran escaped unhurt but were sent to the hospital due to the trauma.

 Before the filing of this report, crime scene experts have visited the scene of the crime and are going through the necessary procedures to proceed with investigations.

Information gathered indicate that the robbers made away with the Police AK 47 riffle and an unspecified amount of money.

In a release issued and signed by the Director, Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent of Police, Sheilla Kessie Abayie-Buckman, the IGP is reminding the Association of Bankers to provide fortified armoured vehicles for carting currencies by the close of June 2021 as earlier agreed between them and the police service, otherwise the service will withdraw its officers from escort duties.

General Constable Emmanuel Osei

 The IGP through the release is also urging the general public  to provide the police with relevant information that will help in the arrest of the perpetrators. 

GBCs Isaac Asare/Release