By Gifty Amofa
Bekwai (Ash), Aug.18, GNA – The Asante Bekwai Circuit Court has remanded four persons into lawful custody for allegedly robbing a Chinese businessman.
The four, including the driver of the victim are Emmanuel Kwafo, the driver, 21, Isaac Oppong, 22, commercial motor rider, John Addae, 25, commercial motor rider and Nicholas Amoako, 17, unemployed.
They have denied conspiring to rob Wang Den of his iPhone valued GHC4,500.00 and GHC5,000.00.
Detective Chief Inspector Eric Twum told the Court presided over by Mr Mark Tairima Diboro that the Complainant, is a businessman and Kwafo alias KB is his a driver.
He said Oppong also known as Arko, Addae popularly known as SM, both are commercial motor riders and Amoako, alias Bukom is unemployed.
Prosecution said the complainant and accused persons resided at Wassa Akropong, adding that Kwafo was his (complainant’s) personal driver and close friend of Addae.
Detective Chief Inspector Twum said on July 9, 2022, Kwafo drove the complainant’s Toyota RAV4 with registration Number GN2570-16 from Wassa Akropong to Manso Tontokrom on business errand, saying, complainant
had an Iphone II Pro Max and GHC5,000.00.
He said at about 1500 hours of same day, when the complainant and Kwafo were returning to Wassa Akropong on board the said vehicle and on reaching a spot at Manso Apenimadi, Oppong, Addae and Amoako who were on board an unregistered Apsonic motorbike crossed them with the motor bike.
The Court heard that they attacked the complainant with knives and cutlasses and succeeded in robbing him of his iphone 11 Pro max valued GHC4,500.00 and GHC5,000.00.
After their successful operation and to avoid being chased, they deflated one of the complainant’s car tyres and sped off, he told the Court.
Prosecution said residents in the nearby villages got wind of the incident and mounted road blocks and at one of the road blocks at Manso Akyerekyerekrom, Oppong, Addae and Amoako on board their motor bike pulled up and they were arrested by the village folks where the Iphone II Pro Max and money in a black waist bag were retrieved from them.
Detective Chief Inspector Twum said the Complainant and Kwafo later arrived at Manso Akyerekyerekrom and identified Oppong, Addae and Amoako as those who robbed the complainant and the items stolen were also identified by the victim.
He said Oppong, Addae and Amoako then mentioned Kwafo as the one who contracted them from Wassa Akropong to rob the complainant thus, he was also arrested.
Accused persons and the exhibits together with the complainant’s said car and the unregistered aposonic motor bike were brought to Manso Datano Police Station where a report was made.
The accused persons were re-arrested and during investigations, they admitted the offences and in their investigative cautioned statements it was revealed that the complainant’s waist bag which was containing the GHC 5,000.00 was retrieved from Addae but only GHC500.00 was in it together with the Iphone 11 Pro max, prosecution said.
Detective Chief Inspector Twum said when the crime scene was visited, police found it was a remote village road, not busy and conducive for the action taken by the accused persons.
After investigations, the accused persons were charged with the offences and put before court.
Their counsel in praying for bail said they were young offenders, would not interfere with prosecution’s investigation since investigation is completed, had people of substance to stand as sureties and were ready to appear before the Court to prove their innocence.
He disagreed with prosecution that his clients used knives and cutlasses on the complainant, adding that none of the implements mentioned was seized from them.
However, the Court after considering the facts and charges refused them bail and advised the counsel to repeat the application on the next adjourned date for consideration.
The Court also ordered the investigator to verify the age of Amoako since he claims he is 17 whilst police say he is 19 years.
GNA