PATROL TEAM GUNS DOWN TWO ROBBERS (BACK PAGE, JAN 29)

TWO suspected armed robbers died when they were shot at by a joint police/military patrol team in Tema early dawn yesterday.
The suspects were said to have taken to their heels, abandoning the Kawasaki motor bike with registration number GS 9608 Z, with which they allegedly robbed four Russian seafarers of their belongings on the Tema beach road.
Two machetes, three mobile phones, a digital camera and a passport were found on the deceased.
Briefing the Daily Graphic at the scene, the Tema Regional Police Commander, DCOP John Kudalor, said the incident occurred at about 1 a.m. after the patrol team had received a distress call that a good Samaritan who had gone to the aid of an accident victim at Batsonaa was being attacked by robbers.
He said on their way to Batsonaa, the patrol team had another call, which indicated that there was another robbery taking place, and that those involved had already escaped on a motorbike.
DCOP Kudalor said this was confirmed by a taxi driver who drove past the patrol team, and as the team headed towards the described scene, it spotted a motorbike speeding towards Tema.
DCOP Kudalor said the bike was at a break-neck speed to the extent that the patrol team vehicle had to veer off to avoid a head-on collision.
He said just then, the motorbike hit an obstacle and somersaulted. The riders, however, got up and took to their heels, and attempted to pass through the rail underpass, which is not accessible to vehicles.
DCOP Kudalor said the patrol team, therefore, gave them a chase until their refusal to stop compelled the team to shoot at them.
He said on interviewing the Russian victims, they claimed that their vessel had docked at the Tema Harbour. They went out, after which they went to the beach to swim, where they were attacked by the two men.
The Russians were identified as Mr Valenskiy Valerie, 51; Mr Galkin Vladimir, 45; Ms Cybopoba Suverova, 46, and Ms Zhakova Strelana, 41, who work as sailors on the Russian vessel M.V. Gnadalajara, which is currently docked at the Tema Harbour.
DCOP Kudalor said the victims had matchete wounds on them and had, therefore, been given police medical forms to attend hospital.
The bodies of the deceased, who are yet to be identified, have been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary in Accra.
In another incident, DCOP Kudalor said at about 7.45p.m. on Monday, a gang of robbers attacked a man and his wife on the Motorway and attempted to snatch their car from them.
He said the man, Mr Winfred Kutsakor, managed to swerve his Opel Vectra car in an attempt to escape the robbers, but he hit one of the attackers who died instantly.
DCOP Kudalor said before the patrol team got to the scene, the other robbers had already escaped.
He said the body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary.
DCOP Kudalor, therefore, appealed to the public to be alert and report any suspicious movements and characters to the police for action.