By Joyce Danso
Accra, Jan. 6, GNA – Emmanuel Waki, aka Pocket, who robbed a pedestrian’s mobile phone near the Ghana Police Service Headquarters, has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court.
Waki committed the act when the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare and his bodyguards, and the Police Management Team had returned from observational team duties on Monday, December 19, 2022, and were entering the Police headquarters.
The bodyguards of the IGP picked up Salifu Alhaji, an accomplice, who was also at the scene, and he led the Police to arrest Waki at his residence at Fadama in Accra.
Waki, a 21-year-old Okada rider, pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit a crime and robbery.
The Court, presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah, sentenced Waki to 10 years imprisonment on the charge of conspiracy and 15 years imprisonment on the charge of robbery.
The sentences are to run concurrently.
The 24-year-old alleged accomplice, Salifu Alhaji, aka Malika, also an Okada rider, however, denied any wrongdoing.
The court has remanded Alhaji into Police custody to reappear on January 17.
The prosecution, led by Inspector Isaac Babayi, opposed the grant of bail for Alhaji.
The prosecution narrated that on Monday December 19, 2022, at about 2010 hours, the IGP and his bodyguards returned from their routine observational duties.
While standing in front of the Police headquarters, team spotted a motorbike rider riding in a suspicious manner from the Ghana Fire Service headquarters direction heading towards the Arko Adjei Interchange.
The prosecution told the Court that the rider suddenly diverted from the approved lane he was supposed to use to the opposite lane facing oncoming traffic.
It said on reaching the pedestrian pavement opposite the CID headquarters, the rider snatched the mobile phone of a pedestrian who was then waiting for a vehicle and sped off.
The prosecution said the pedestrian (victim) attempted to chase the rider but to no avail.
It said the bodyguards of the IGP who witnessed the crime from a distance, consequently, chased the rider and in a few minutes, they accosted Alhaji who was then using a red Apsonic motor bike with registration number M-20-GR-6987. Alhaji bore semblance to the perpetrator and so he was handed him over for investigations.
The prosecution said during investigations, Alhaji denied the offence but mentioned Waki as the one who robbed the pedestrian because he (Alhaji) spotted Waki on his motorbike and Waki sped off from the direction of the robbery on the day of the incident.
It said Alhaji also explained that he had parked his motorbike in front of the Assemblies of God Church, along the Ghana Institute of Journalism route.
The prosecution said on December 20, 2022, Alhaji led the Police to the residence of Waki at Old Fadama where he was arrested.
During investigations, Waki admitted to the offence.
The prosecution said Waki also confessed to selling the mobile phone to one Mohammed at GHS300.00.
GNA